5 66 



INSECTA ORDER ORTHOPTERA. 



(Phasmidw). 



children had lost their way they had only to ask a Mantis, which would im- 

 mediately extend one of its front legs in the desired direction. Some idea 

 of their real propensities, however, may be gathered from the following anec- 

 dote : A male and female Mantis were once observed courting, when the 

 female suddenly chopped off the head of her mate and devoured it. This 

 incident was followed by their union, after which the female devoured the 

 body of her unfortunate partner. But it should be mentioned that in most 

 insects (subject, however, to exceptions) the female is much larger and, as a 

 rule, less brightly coloured than the male. We have figured a green 

 European species of Mantis. (Fig. 43.) 



The Phasmidce are another group of Orthoptera, which are wholly unre- 

 presented in England, though a few small species belonging to the typical 

 genus Pheuma (Illiger) are found on the northern shores of 

 Stick Insects the Mediterranean. These are apterous insects, about two 

 or three inches long, and with short antennae, though the 

 generic name is frequently misapplied to a South American 

 genus with long antennae, and large, brightly-coloured wings. The PhasmicUe, 

 or stick insects, have long slender legs and bodies, and are exclusively vege- 

 table feeders. Although the legs are spiny in many species, they are not 

 raptorial, as in the Mautidw. A great number of species are apterous, and 

 of a brown or yellowish colour, perfectly resembling 

 pieces of dead stick in appearance. The largest 

 insect known is a species from Borneo, Phrygan- 

 istria, serratipes (Gray), the female of which mea- 

 sures more than a foot in length. Other apterous 

 species, about nine inches long, and half an inch 

 broad, are flattened rather than rounded, and are 

 of a green colour, perfectly resembling shoots of 

 bamboo. In the winged Phasmidce the tegmina 

 are always very short, and frequently scale-like; 

 but the wings are often very ample, and are 

 thickened along the costal area, which really 

 answers the purpose of tegmina in protecting the 

 delicate fan-like wings. Many of the Australian 

 Phasmidce measure six or seven inches in ex- 

 panse, and are most beautiful insects, with large 

 pink, blue, or green wings. There is a smaller 

 green species in the Pacific Islands, Lopaphus 

 cocophages(N&wp.\ about five inches long, which 

 is extremely destructive to the cocoanut trees. 

 It has odd little rudimentary red wings not more 

 than an inch long ; and shares with other species 

 of Phasmidke the habit of ejecting a disagreeable 

 fluid when alarmed. This particular insect is said 

 to be able to shoot it a distance of five feet, and 

 the fluid is so acrid that it is liable to cause blindness if it reaches the eyes. 



The next family, the Gryllidce, or crickets, agrees with the remaining 



groups in having the hind femora much thickened, and adapted for leaping. 



The antennae are long and slender, the tegmina rest flat on 



Crickets the back, and are frequently curved downwards at the sides, 



(Cryllidai). but are never roof -like, and the head is large and vertical, 



with prominent eyes. The legs are generally strongly spined, 



Fig. 44. STICK INSECT 



Lopaphus cocophayes). ^ Nat. 



size. 



