1894-] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 169 



THE BOLD ROBBER FLY AND THE MANTIS. 



By W. A. HARSHBARGER, Topeka, Kans. 



The article in the April number of NEWS on "The Bold Rob- 

 ber Fly" recalls a battle that I witnessed last September between 

 one of the larger species of Asilus and a female Mantis (Stag- 

 momantis Carolina). The fight occurred on a small tree in my 

 yard near which I happened to be standing. The fly darted into 

 the tree and instantly set up a great buzzing that attracted my 

 attention. The Mantis caught the fly around -the thorax with 

 one of her fore legs or graspers, and a regular sparring match 

 ensued, in which the fly seemed to use its feet to push the Mantis 

 off. The long body and legs of the Mantis gave it great advan- 

 tage in avoiding the proboscis of the fly, but when it attempted 

 to eat any part of the fly the latter would prod it, so that it had 

 to give up. Finally, the other grasper was thrown about the fly 

 in such a way as to pinion one wing. The Mantis then slipped 

 one grasper down to the neck of the fly, and while in this posi- 

 tion ate off its proboscis. She next turned her attention to the 

 legs, which were removed one by one. At this point I interfered, 

 captured the Mantis, and meant to put the fly out of misery, but 

 it flew away from me minus a proboscis and four legs. The 

 Mantis was placed under a glass and fed thirteen house flies in 

 succession. This occurred at noon. At night a male Mantis 

 was placed under the same glass and in the morning his wings 

 and legs alone remained. After this slight repast the Mantis 

 was allowed to fast a day and a half, when a large female Acridium 

 americanum was placed under the glass. At once a battle began. 

 The grasshopper was so strong and heavy that the fight seemed 

 uneven. It succeeded in kicking and scraping the Mantis loose 

 from every hold that it got. Finally, the Mantis seized one of 

 the hopping legs and began to eat it off about the middle of the 

 femur. The grasshopper beat itself and the Mantis violently 

 against the glass, but the latter hung on until it gnawed the leg 

 off, when it loosed it hold, fell onto its back and expired. 

 Whether the violent exertions of the grasshopper killed it or I 

 starved it to death, I cannot sav. 



To prove that the clothes he sells are all wool, a Ridge Avenue dealer 

 shows customers the moths in the garments. 



