Rail — The Biology of Stagmomantis Carolina. 17 



This, wifli the four moults previously described, gives 

 us five moults. At this lifth moult the wing pads are 

 highly developed, and the insect measures from 28 to 32 

 mm. in length; it is now in the instar immediately pre- 

 ceding adulthood, when one more moult completes the 

 process of development, and the insect attains a size 

 of 48 to 60 mm.i*^ 



It is hardly possible that a moult could have escaped 

 obser\'ation. Hence we may feel confident in concluding 

 that there are at least six months and seven instars in 

 the life cycle qf^^ur mantis. 



Pagenstrecker (quoted by Packard, Text-Book Ent., 

 p. 616), finds that the Mantis religiosa moults seven 

 times, having eight stages in its development, including 

 ''that before the amnion is cast." Hence we arrive at 

 the same conclusion, for in our species we have six 

 ecdyses and seven instars exclusive of the shedding of 

 the envelope just after emerging, which, as we have 

 seen, can hardly be regarded a true moult. 



Of course when circumstances are such that individ- 

 uals cannot live to maturity in confinement, and since 

 sex cannot be distinguished until late in the insect's life 

 cycle, it has not been determined finally whether males 

 and females pass through the same number of moults 

 in their development. It may be possible however that 

 the conditions of confinement, food, temperature, etc., 

 may influence the size of the insect and the time of 

 moulting, but it seems hardly probable that it could 

 cause a variation in the regular, established number of 

 moults. 



It is extremely difficult to handle a delicate and per- 

 versely active little nymph which insists upon rearing 

 up the abdomen in a semicircle while he is being meas- 

 ured. The measurements from life were all made under 

 these difficulties, and may err slightly either way. 



" This measurement is for adults that were not confined in the 

 earlier stages. 



