PARADISE KEY — SAFFORD. 



397 



Fig. 19. — Newly molted 

 Eurycotis floridana, 

 about to devour its 

 c.ist-off exoskeleton. 

 Half nat. size. 



ftoridana (pi. 45, fig. 6), a large roach; Gonatista grisea (pi. 41, fig. 

 6) , a mantis resembling the " praying mantis " of southern Europe in 

 form, but differing from it in color, and distinct from it generically ; 

 a walking stick, Thesqyrotla graminis; and several grasshoppers, or 

 locusts, including Romalea mieroptera (pi. 4-1, 

 fig. 10, and pi. 45, fig. 4), remarkable for its 

 great size and gaudy colors. In addition to 

 these may be mentioned a katydid, Scuddei'ia 

 texensis (pi. 44, fig. 9) and a cricket, Gryllus 

 assimilis (pi. 44, figs. 1 and 2). 



A large specimen of the above-named roach 

 was observed on the lodge veranda in the 

 process of molting. Motionless, head down- 

 ward, holding on to the side of the house by 

 its six feet, its shell proceeded to split and an 

 exact replica of the insecc gi-a dually emerged 

 from it, but it w^as pure white except its two 

 little black eyes, which were almost concealed 

 by the anterior edge of its shieldlike thorax. 

 At first it was soft and helpless, but it soon 

 showed signs of life, and turning about (see fig. 19) it proceeded to 

 devour its cast-off shell, even to the tips of the antennae and the rigid, 

 spim^, chitinized legs; so that there was not a vestige left of its old 

 exoskeleton. This species, the only representative of the genus 

 Eurj'cotis in the United States, is confined to 

 Florida and Georgia. It has rudimentary 

 wings and is incapable of flight. Its food con- 

 sists of all kinds of organic substances, includ- 

 ing textile fabrics and paper. Its only defense 

 is a volatile, ill-smelling substance W'hich it 

 exudes from beneath the abdomeni 



Gonatista grisea^ the common mantis of the 

 park, presents an admirable example of camou- 

 flage; for its lichenlike mottled grayish colora- 

 tion renders it almost invisible as it stations 

 itself motionless on a branch or stem in w^ait 

 for its insect prey. A specimen of its peculiar 

 egg case, or ootheca, sent to the writer by the 

 park warden, is shown in figure 20. It is al- 

 most identical in form and structure to that 

 of its European cousin, the life history of which is even more 

 terrible than that of the spiders; for instead of one husband, this 

 lady Bluebeard is capable of devouring seven husbands in succes- 

 sion. In this connection the reader is referred to the great work of 

 Fabre, who apropos of the mantids exclaims : " Ah ! les feroces 



Fig. 20. — Egg case of 

 MANTIS, Gonatista gri- 

 sea. From a specimen 



COLLECTED BY C. A. 



MosiEE. Half nat. 



SIZE. 



