一、前言螳螂属于螳螂目螳螂科,是重要捕食性昆虫之一,是多种农林害虫的天敌。它具有繁殖力高、食量大、食虫范围广等特点。据报导,螳螂的种类很多;全世界已发现一千八百多种,我国已知的有五十一种。近年来,在棉田、松林和苗尉地进行人工释放试验,对降低害虫数量获得了初步成效。为了探索应用螳螂防治马尾松毛虫,作者从一九七八年开始,对螳螂的生活习性进行观察研究,与此同时,在林间进行人工释放试验。初步调查,我区北至全州,南至北海市的海岛上,都有螂螂分布。目前,初步发现和人工饲养的螳螂有广腹螳螂(Hierodula patellifera Serville),大刀螳螂(Paratenod- I. Introduction Mantis Mantis is a praying mantis family, is one of the major predatory insects, is a natural enemy of many kinds of agricultural and forestry pests. It has high fertility, food intake, a wide range of insecticide and other characteristics. It is reported that there are many kinds of mantis; over 1,800 species have been found in the world and 51 are known in our country. In recent years, in cotton fields, pine and Miao Wei conducted artificial release test, to reduce the number of pests to obtain initial results. In order to explore the application of praying mantis to control Dendrolimus punctatus, the author started to observe the life habits of praying mantis since 1978, and at the same time, conducted an artificial release test in the forest. Preliminary investigation, my area north to the state, south to the island of Beihai City, have the distribution of the dragonfly. At present, the preliminary findings and artificial breeding mantis are Hierodula patellifera Serville, Paratenod-