314 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 4 



without tearing, but after a short time the old integument hardens 

 and it cannot then he extended to its full length. 



Fig. 8. Male Diapheroinera femomta, which threw off all of its legs during the last 

 molt. 



After molting, the walking-stick usually eats its cast-off skin. 

 The following observations of a specimen eating its former exoskeleton 

 are copied in detail from our notebook: 



The insect was suspended by the posterior end of the abdomen in the molted skin 

 for forty minutes. The tibiae were then flexed at the knee producing a twitching 

 movement. Suddenly the Phasmid bent its body upward, the legs caught hold of the 

 petiole of the leaf, and the terminal end of the abdomen was pulled out of the exuvium. 

 It began to feed on the head of the molted skin at once and bit off both antennae 

 and one of the front legs, the latter adhering to the leaf by the tarsus. The basal ends 

 of both antennae were consumed at the same time, the antenna? swaying around in all 

 directions with each bite. Next, the front leg which adhered to the leaf was bitten 

 in two through the femur, after which this free portion of the leg was devoured, 

 femur first. The walking-stick now bit off the other front leg at the coxa and left 

 it hanging on the leaf by the tarsus. Next it started to eat the mesothorax of the 

 discarded integument. When the walking-stick came to the middle legs, it took 

 the bent knee of one of these legs into its mouth and consumed the femur and tibia 

 at the same time. The creature then bit off the other middle leg at the coxa and ate 

 it. It now began to eat at the posterior end of the abdomen and met with one of the 

 hind legs lying along the side of the abdomen. The tarsus of this leg was bent at 

 the joint with the tibia and this bent portion entered the mouth first, the tarsus and 

 part of the tibia being consumed at the same time. It ate the rest of the tibia and 

 left the femur untouched. Next the Phasmid tasted the metathorax, but soon it 

 came back to the femur and ate this portion of the leg. Then the insect bit off the 

 other hind leg at the coxa, but the leg dropped to the ground. Finally the walking- 



