LEAF AND STICK INSECTS. 35 



many cases the limbs stand out at such an angle as 

 to make the resemblance still more striking, and 

 in some species of stick insects the creatures sway 

 at times, just as leaves and twigs would move in a 



breeze 



The resemblance to leaves and sticks is more re- 

 markable on the whole, in the females which are 

 usually much larger than the males. The males 

 are better fitted for flight. Many phasmids have 

 very beautiful flying wings, many with brilliant 

 coloring. In some cases the tegmina are short, 

 in others they are long and leaf-like or twig-like in 

 general color. 



If numerous these insects can be very destructive. 

 The young student may at first confuse the phas- 

 mids with the mantids, but on studying the char- 

 acteristics and habits of each, the differences can 

 De seen. 



Note the head is rounded and not movable on 

 a neck region. The first segment of the thorax is 

 short, and the second long. The front legs are not 

 more strongly developed than the second and third 

 pairs for these insects are vegetable feeders and 

 do not want raptorial legs. The cerci are not 

 jointed. 



Some phasmids are said to eject an evil smelling, 

 pungent fluid from the thorax, when disturbed. The 

 eggs are not laid in egg masses such as we find in 

 the mantids. The mother phasmid just drops 

 them haphazard from the trees to the ground. 

 These eggs resemble seeds for they have a hard, 

 dfirk-colored coat with a little rounded knob at the 



