Morphological Characterization of Praying Mantis (Order Mantodea) Species Collected from Gardens and Forest Edges in Enugu State, South East Nigeria

Praying mantises are specialized predatory insects with considerable ecological importance as natural pest suppressors in garden and forest edge habitats. Despite their visibility and relevance to biological control, the Mantodea fauna of South East Nigeria remains taxonomically undescribed. This study undertakes a morphological characterization of praying mantis species collected from garden and forest edge habitats in selected localities of Enugu State. Specimens will be collected by hand and sweep net from vegetable gardens, ornamental shrubs, and secondary forest edges in Enugu, Awgu, and Udi LGAs over eight months. Morphological features including body length, foreleg structure, wing venation, and pronotum shape will be recorded and compared with published Mantodea keys for West Africa. Voucher specimens will be deposited at the Enugu State University Zoology Museum. Habitat preferences and microhabitat associations will be documented for each species. The study anticipates recording five to twelve species, contributing to the poorly known distribution data for West African Mantodea. Findings will be published in a regional journal, contributing taxonomic records that can inform biodiversity assessments for Enugu State. Keywords: Mantodea, praying mantis, morphological characterization, Enugu State, garden ecology