36 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



apex. (Plate 6, Fig. 3.) The eg^g is very tiny for 

 such a large baby insect to emerge, but this seems 

 so because the baby phasmid on emerging can ex- 

 pand the segments of the body. 



E. Step thus describes the emergence of a phas- 

 mid: "Now the egg capsule measures 3 mm in 

 length, and the newly-emerged "Stick" is 10 mm in 

 length of its body, not taking the long antennae 

 and legs into account. Of course, the discrepancy 

 in. size between the capsules and the young is ex- 

 plained by the fact that considerable expansion has 

 taken place during actual emergence. 



Before emergence, for example, the three legs are 

 fairly close together, but during the struggle to 

 free itself from its prison, the two hind joints of 

 the middle body (meso and metathorax), lengthen 

 and separate the legs considerably." 



The wings of the winged forms consist of a pair 

 of more or less linear cover wings or tegmina, 

 which are hardened at the front edge. The hind 

 pair of flying wings is variously colored and 

 beautifully netted ; they are folded fanwise ex 

 Podacanthus- Wingless forms are seen in Bacil- 

 lus and E.vfatosoma. Perhaps the phasmid which 

 we most often see is a large green insect, popularly 

 known as "Laurie's Ringbarker" (Podacanthus 

 IVilkinsoni). This measures from 6 to 8 inches 

 from the head to the tip of the abdomen. The 

 body seems to broaden out in the thorax, and to 

 taper toward the end. The head is small and 



rounded. The antennae are short. One pair of 

 eyes is present, also the characteristic biting mouth 

 parts, 



