22 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



5 died; hence we have no reason to conclude that even 

 these died from this particular cause. The adult males 

 require little food, and in confinement seem to live as 

 long as the females. 



The males do not eat while in copulo, since their fore- 

 legs are used for clinging. The females, however, having 

 these appendages free, lose no opportunity to grasp a 

 choice morsel. 



Again referring to the cannibalism of the mantis, 

 PI. VII shows a gray and a green female in combat to 

 the death. The spiny forelegs of each are locked about 

 the thorax of the other, and the head of the fair one 

 (green) is about to sever. 



Enemies of the Mantis. 



Small red ants were once accidentally introduced into 

 the cages along with the aphis. Instead of the carnivor- 

 ous nymphs eating these also, the ants although much 

 smaller, immediately fell upon them, first severing the 

 legs at the joints and then dismembering the other parts 

 of the body, while the struggling mantis tried to get 

 away. It was at first thought that the ants behaved thus 

 in order to protect their dairy, but it was later dis- 

 covered that they carried away all the parts of the dead 

 mantis, evidently cherished as palatable bits. The 

 mantis when older, however, reversed the attack and 

 greedily devoured the ants. 



Another grave enemy to the eggs is the Podagrion 

 mantis already referred to, and in all probability the 

 larvae of Anthrenus sp. also. A spider was once seen 

 devouring a mantis nymph. What part birds play in 

 keeping their numbers in check is unknown, but both 

 sexes, dead or alive, were greedily eaten by poultry, and 

 even the egg-cases, both old and new, were likewise 

 devoured. 



Upon one occasion when I was testing the ability of 

 the mantis to capture and kill honey-bees, one was tied 



