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BIONOMICAL NOTES ON SOME BORNEAN 

 MANTID^. 



By R. Shelford, M.A., C.M.Z.S., Curator of the Sarawak 



Museum. 



During a five years' residence in Sarawak, Borneo, I have 

 kept in captivity, and under close observation, many species and 

 specimens of Mantidce, and have from time to time jotted down 

 rough notes on their habits, their food, methods of feeding, life- 

 history, &c. The following account is a brief resume of these 

 notes, and, though containing no very important or new facts, 

 may perhaps be of some interest to those readers of ' The 

 Zoologist' who have never had the good fortune to observe these 

 curious insects alive for themselves. 



Species of the genus Hierodula and Tenodera superstitiosa are 

 met with more frequently than any others in Borneo, and, as 

 they are strongly attracted by light and frequently fly into houses 

 at night when the lamps are lit, I have had plenty of oppor- 

 tunities of observing their habits in captivity, and of checking 

 my observations. 



A Mantis such as one of these, when first captured, displays 

 considerable ferocity, grasping with its raptorial legs the fingers of 

 its captor with great force, at the same time trying to bite, but 

 after a few days many become comparatively tame, and some of 

 my captives would not only take food from my fingers, but would 

 devour it whilst resting on my hand. It is most interesting to 

 watch a Mantis, e. g. Hierodula dyaka (a bright green species), 

 attack a large butterfly, such as an Ornithoptera or Amathusiine 

 when introduced into its cage ; the movements of the butterfly 

 are watched closely for some time, the Mantis turning its head 

 from side to side in what appears to be a very intelligent manner ; 

 the fore part of the body (the prothorax) is raised, the rap- 

 torial front legs are drawn up close against the side of the body, 

 and their yellow inner surfaces turned outwards ; the abdomen 



