Mantid Diversity (insecta: Mantodea) Of Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary In The Northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India

A study on the diversity of praying mantids (Insecta: Mantodea) was carried out in Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary, Kolhapur, India during 2013‒2015. The study revealed the presence of 23 species distributed over 20 genera, 14 subfamilies, and seven families. Family Mantidae was dominant, with 13 species under six subfamilies, followed by Hymenopodidae and Tarachodidae with three species each. The genus Cotigaonopsis , represented by its species providenceae , is reported as a new record for the state of Maharashtra. The information about the species distribution, habitat, and general observations of each of the species found in Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary, have been given.