248 



ORTHOPTERA 



development they devoured other Insects greedily : the niimber 



of ecdyses is seven or eight. The ocelli appear for the first time 



vi^hen the wing rudiments do so ; the number of joints in the 



antennae increases at each moult. Dr. Pagenstecher considers 

 that this Insect undergoes its chief meta- 

 morphosis immediately after leaving the egg, 

 the earlier condition existing apparently to 

 fit the Insect for escaping from the egg-case. 

 In the immature stage of the Mantidae the alar 

 organs appear (Fig. 1,39) as adjuncts of the 

 sides of the meso- and meta- notum, projecting 

 backwards and very deeply furrowed and 

 ribbed in a wing-like manner. According to 



Fig. 139. — Tegmiua Pagenstecher, this wing-like appearance only 



imalre'Xiri."' commences in the fifth stadium, but he has 



not given particulars of the conditions of 



these parts in the preceding instars. According to de Saussure ^ 



the wings of the females of some species remain permanently in 



this undeveloped or nymphal state. 



The Mantidae, as a rule, have a quiet unobtrusive mien, and 



were it not for their formidable 



front legs would look the picture of 



innocence ; they, however, hold these 



legs in such manner as to greatly 



detract from the forbidding appear- 

 ance thereof, stretching them out only 



partially so as to give rise to an 



appearance of supplication or prayer;" 



this effect is increased by their 



holding themselves in a semi-erect 



position, standing on the hind and 



middle legs with the upper parts of 



the body directed somewhat for- 

 wards, hence they are called by 



various names indicating prayer or 



supplication, and it is said that in 



some countries they are considered sacred. 



Fig. 140. — Iris 

 South Europe. 



oraioria, female. 

 Natural size. 



Some of the older 



^ Biol. CeiUr. Amer. Ortlwpt. 1894, p. 160. 



'' Our figures do not exhibit this attitude ; if portrayed in their natural position 

 m a drawing the front legs would be to a large extent obscured. 



