the Life History of Gongylus gongyloides. 127 



male has long bi-pectinate antennse, gracefully curved ; 

 while the antennas of the female are short, hair-like, curved 

 outwards, with fine rounded hooks at the free end, and 

 never reaching beyond the tip of the cephalic crest. The 

 prothoracic disc is in the male narrower and more diamond- 

 shaped than in the female, which is altogether a more 

 heavily-built insect in association with its sedentary habits. 

 The male adopts the same habits as the female for catching 

 its prey. 



Tliese insects are found hanging from creepers and the 

 foliage of trees and shrubs in country lying high and well 

 drained ; also the female adult was found on hay-grass 

 about eighteen inches high. I met with two groups of 

 half-grown nymphs on creepers in my own garden. There 

 Avas a difference of colour in the two groups, the one was of 

 a lifjht warm brown oround colour, while the other was of 

 a sooty hue. The markings of both varieties appear to be 

 similar, and the same male interbred with both varieties of 

 females. Their colours were inherited by the offspring. 

 The specimen shown is of the darker variety. 



Food. 



When feeding the insect invariably liolds the fore part 

 of the prothorax towards the brightest light available at 

 an angle with the body of between thirty and forty degrees ; 

 insects are frequently captured and are generally devoured 

 entirely, with the exception of the wings and some of the 

 legs. The favourite food of the adult insect and of the 

 larger nymphs consists of small lepidoptera; chiefly of a 

 Skipper closely allied to, if not identical with, the British 

 Dingy Skipper. This butterfly abounds on the creepers 

 and flowering shrubs frequented by Gmigylus during the 

 period when the Mantis is preparing for its last ecdysis, viz. 

 towards the end of the rainy season in September and 

 October, and on till the end of December. Much larger 

 butterflies also, including Fapillios, are captured by the 

 adult insect. The nymph is of a retiring nature, and iiides 

 all but its prothoracic disc and stalk behind the foliage, 

 while the adult insect displays its whole body and limbs at 

 the eud of a twig or spray, or on a spike of flowers. It 

 maintains this inverted position exposed to the full sunlight 

 without any serious risk from its enemies, being evidently 

 protected by its peculiar colouring and form. I have 

 noticed large nymphs of Gongylus living for days and 



