1916] Breeding Habits of the Orthoptcra 123 



period when the Mantid was one of the few insects and when 

 there would be a natural dearth of food. Then the male was 

 habitually devoured as the most available source of food. A 

 female will copulate with as many as seven males in a single 

 season. 



Copulation is as simple in the Phasmids as it is in the 

 Mantids. The male mounts the back of the female and curling 

 his abdomen under and to one side of that of the female he 

 effects the union. Copulation lasts for several hours. 



The method of copulation in the Acrididae is fairly constant. 

 The male, after assuming his position upon the back of the 

 female, bends his abdomen to one side and under that of the 

 female and copulates. Copulation between a single pair lasts 

 for hours and sometimes as long as two days. There is no 

 spermatophore, the spermatozoa being transferred directly to 

 the oviducts by a bifurcated intromittent organ. 



In spite of the great variety exhibited in the structure and 

 habits of the Locustidae there is a fairly constant mode of 

 copulation. It may be termed an "end to end" position. In 

 some cases both of the animals are in a vertical position on 

 grass stems; sometimes the male is curled beneath the female, 

 or even standing on his head. In the case of Ceuthophilus both 

 animals stand upright, facing in opposite directions, while the 

 end of the abdomen of the male is inverted and grasps that 

 of the female by the subgenital plate. This may be taken as a 

 typical position while the others are variations necessitated by 

 circumstances. The mating pair may be located upon parallel 

 or upon diverging stems, upon the ground in a horizontal posi- 

 tion or the female may be running about dragging the male in 

 any position. Copulation is of short duration, generally lasting 

 a few minutes and the spermatozoa are transferred by means of 

 spermatophore. This spermatophore when visible externally 

 appears as a lobed membranous sac which is translucent at first 

 but becomes opaque after a short exposure to the air. It 

 appears shortly after the union of the two animals and is 

 quickly transferred by the male to the vulva of the female 

 where it hangs until the contained spermatozoa have made 

 their way into the oviducts. 



The relative position of the bodies of the male and the 

 female is constant throughout the entire group of the Gryllidas. 



