BIOTIC ASSOCIATIONS OF COCKROACHES — ROTH & WILLIS 225 



pgya rhomhifolia, and Periplaneta amcricana, U.S.A. (Rilling, per- 

 sonal communication, 1957) : Mrs. Rilling wrote us that with the 

 exception of N. rhombifolia, all the above cockroaches were readily 

 eaten. All the mantids initially rejected N. rhomhifolia after grasping 

 and making a brief attempt to chew the cockroaches. However, if 

 specimens of A'', rhomhifolia were left in the jars with the mantids, the 

 cockroaches were usually eaten within the next 24 hours. A^. rhomhi- 

 folia ejects an odorous substance when seized and the mantids prob- 

 ably ate these insects after most of this secretion had been depleted. 

 It is highly probable that the secretion of A^. rhomhifolia may deter 

 the mantid's attack, but it should be pointed out that, with the possible 

 exception oi N. cinerea, all the other species fed to these mantids give 

 off odorous substances when seized or disturbed. Apparently, certain 

 naturally repellent compounds will deter this mantid, whereas others 

 that are presumed to be repellent will not; however, the nutritional 

 state of the mantid is undoubtedly a factor which may limit the ef- 

 fectiveness of certain repellent secretions against this predator. 



Byrsotria fumigata, teneral males, and Periplaneta aiistralasiae, 

 nymphs, U.S.A. (Roth and Willis, unpublished data, 1958). 



Diploptera punctata, U.S.A. (Eisner, 1958). 



Mantis religiosa Linnaeus 



Common name. — European mantis. 



Experimental prey. — Naiiphoeta cinerea, and Periplaneta ameri- 

 cana, U.S.A. (Rilling, personal communication, 1957). 



Metallyticus semiaeneus Westwood 

 Experimental prey. — Cockroaches, Borneo (Shelford, 1916). 



Sphodromantis viridus (Forskal) 



Synonymy. — Sphodromantis bioculata Burmeister [Gurney, per- 

 sonal communication, 1958]. 



Experimental prey. — Blatta orientalis, Egypt (Adair, 1923) : This 

 species of cockroach was apparently used regularly as food for the 

 mantid in the laboratory. 



Stagmomantis Carolina (Johansson) 



Common name. — Carolina mantis. 



Experimental prey. — Blattclla germanica and Periplaneta amcri- 

 cana, U.S.A. (Breland, 1941) : The mantids were fed 1-2 German 

 cockroaches daily. One female mantid consumed 10 adult German 

 cockroaches plus one ootheca and part of another in 2.5 hours. An 



