8o 



ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY 



each other with avidity. The 

 adults have an extremely 

 long prothorax, with a small 

 transverse head, and long 

 legs. In many tropical 

 forms the wings are bright 

 green and closely resemble 

 leaves, thoroughly protect- 

 ing the insect as it awaits 

 its prey. 



Walking-sticks, or walk- 

 ing Orthoptera (Phasmidae). 

 The walking-sticks are aptly 

 described by their name ; 

 so closely do they resemble 

 the twig of a bush or tree 

 that they are found with 

 difficulty and usually quite 

 by accident. Only one spe- 

 cies occurs in the northern 

 states, which feeds upon 

 the foliage of forest trees 

 and is particularly common 

 on hazel and beech, the 

 body color varying from 



greenish to brown according to the surroundings. In the tropics 



are many phasmids of large size and having wings which closely 



resemble leaves in both color and shape. 



The large, oval eggs are dropped loose 



upon the ground, where they pass the 



winter and hatch the next summer. 

 The next three families all have the hind 



legs adapted for jumping, and are com- 

 monly grouped together as the jumping 



Orthoptera. Most of the forms in these 



three families also have the ability to 



produce sounds either by their legs or 



wings. 



[L-.i....^ ^,. ...._.._ 



FIG. 96. A pair of walking-sticks on a birch twig 

 (Photograph by Weed) 



FIG. 97. Eggs of the walk- 

 ing-stick 



