الفهرس 
Introduction and Literature reviewOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Mantis is a charismatic predatory creature of order Mantodea with about 2500 species in the world. They form one of the most diverse and unique insects on variety of ecosystems and habitats through our planet. This study aimed to evaluate Mantodea species distribution and ecological requirements through Egypt, estimate the faunistic affinities among the different Egyptian ecological zones, studying the Spatio- temporal distribution modeling of Blepharopsis mendica, with notes of its future status under climate change, investigate the environmental niche modelling of genus Eremiaphila (desert mantis) in the Middle East and North Africa.
-Biogeographical analysis of order Mantodea in Egypt
The distribution of 450 observations of Mantodea species across the eight Egyptian ecological zones (Coastal Strip, Lower Nile Valley (including the Delta), Upper Nile Valley, Fayoum Basin, Eastern Desert, Western Desert, Sinai and Gebel Elba) were used to study biogeographical analysis of the species and estimate the species richness. The similarity of species composition among the Egyptian ecological zones was obtained by using similarity index. Also, these records were used to make a habitat suitability model using Maxent software. Three topographic and 19 bioclimatic variables were used to estimate the current distribution of all Mantodea species. The current and future potential distribution for Iris oratoria and Oxyothespis dumonti in Egypt was also predicted. The ratio between observations/ species was high in Lower Nile Valley and Sinai, indicated that the species richness in these ecological zones was high. There was a high faunal similarity between Western desert and Eastern desert, Coastal strip and Lower Nile valley. Gebel Elba had lower similarities to any of the other zones. Maxent model showed that altitude had the highest effect on the distribution of Mantodea species relative to other variables. These findings can be used as a basis for conserving mantises in Egypt.
-Spatio-temporal analysis of the Egyptian flower mantis Blepharopsis mendica, with notes of its future status under climate change
Blepharopsis mendica is a widespread species throughout the southwest Palearctic region. Habitat suitability models for this species in Egypt were created by analyzing 90 occurrence records using Maxent software. One topographic (altitude) and eleven bioclimatic variables influencing species distribution were selected. The predicted distribution in Egypt was focused in the Greater Cairo and South Delta governorates, South Sinai coast, the northeastern part of the country, and some areas in the west including Siwa Oasis. Temporal analysis between the two periods (1900-1961) and (1961-2017) showed a current reduction of this species distribution through Greater Cairo and South Delta governorates due to Urbanization and increase in newly protected areas of South Sinai. Under the future climate change scenario, the Maxent model predicted the habitat loss for B.mendica in RCP 8.5 for 2070. These results can be used as a basis for conserving this species not only in Egypt but also throughout the whole of its range.
-Environmental niche modelling of genus Eremiaphila in the Middle East and North Africa
Eremiaphila (desert mantis) is a genus of mantis in the small family Eremiaphilidae. A total of 251 records of 60 Eremiaphila species were collected to estimate its ecological niche modeling in Middle East and North Africa. The Maxent models indicated that the highly suitable habitat for these species was focused in protected areas, national parks and special conservation areas. Altitude had higher influence to the model rather than other variables. The occurrence records of Eremiaphila ammonita, Eremiaphila arabica, Eremiaphila braueri and Eremiaphila genei that had records ≥ 10 were used to predict the origin of this genus in the study area. Niche overlapping among the four species indicated that Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon may be considered as the origin of the desert mantis in this area. This study act as a basis for evaluation of the ecological requirements and distribution of these species of genus Eremiaphila in Middle East and North Africa.