THE CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS 63 



is said to have been brought to Europe from the East 

 about two hundred years ago, but its plaee of origin is not 

 definitely known. Coekroaehes are omnivorous feeders. 

 Many species are more active at night than in the day- 

 time. Their eggs are laid in curious purse-like capsules. 



The mantids, or "praying" insects (Mantidce), are 

 easily recognised by their powerful front legs, which are 

 not used for walking, but are held up in an attitude 

 suggestive of devotion — hence the popular name. If a 

 fly, or some other insect, comes within* reach, these legs 

 are shot out with great rapidity to effect its capture, and 

 are subsequently used to hold the prey while it is being 

 devoured. The effective, trap-like part of the fore-leg 

 consists of the femur and tibia, the tarsus being small and 

 apparently almost functionless. The first ring of the 

 thorax (prothorax) is greatly lengthened. Mantids are 

 numerous in all tropical countries, but only a dozen 

 species represent the family in Southern Europe, one 

 only (Mantis religiosa) being found at any great distance 

 from the Mediterranean littoral. They lay their eggs in 

 curious capsules formed from a glutinous secretion that 

 hardens after exposure to the air. These capsules vary in 

 form and appearance, and are always attached to some 

 object, such as a twig or a grass stem. 



In the remarkable "stick" and "leaf" insects (Phas- 

 midce), the middle ring of the thorax (mesothorax) is the 

 longest segment of the fore-body. When fore-wings are 

 present they are usually reduced to mere scales, the 

 delicate membranous area of the hind- wing folding fan- 

 wise beneath a firmer front portion. But among the 

 "leaf" insects {Phy Ilium), the tegmina of the females are 

 large and leaf-like, the hind-wings being obsolete. These 

 insects, moreover, have a flattened form, whereas in most 

 Phasmids the bodies and legs are very long and slender. 



