14 MISC. PUBLICATION 318, U. 8S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
leaves of trees. It has four rather large wings folded over its back. 
This insect, like the grasshopper, can crawl, jump, or fly. The katy- 
did is seldom of economic importance. 
Tree crickets.—In the order Orthoptera are a number of small, 
pale-green insects, about three-fourths of an inch long, known as tree 
crickets (Oecanthus spp). They have chewing 
mouth parts and feed on a wide range of materials, 
including the leaves, blossoms, and sometimes the 
ripening fruit of plants, or on weakened members 
of their own kind. Like most other Orthoptera, 
tree crickets have four wings. The eggs of tree 
crickets are deposited in the twigs or canes of 
plants, where they remain over winter, and the egg 
punctures made in the stems cause this insect to be 
considered a pest of raspberry and similar small 
fruits. Stomach poisons will kill the nymphs, and 
burning the canes containing the eggs will destroy 
them. 
_ Mantids.—Not all Orthoptera are injurious. 
The mantids are beneficial because they feed on 
other insects, many of which are pests. Mantids 
can be easily distinguished from other Orthoptera 
by the much elongated thorax or waist part of the 
body, and by the large front legs, which are fitted 
for grasping their prey. The four wings usually 
are folded back over the hind part of the body. 
The total length of the body of the species here 
illustrated is approximately 21% inches. These in- 
sects have incomplete hfe changes. The eggs are 
laid in clusters, usually covered with dried froth, 
on branches and twigs of trees or shrubs and re- 
main there through the winter. The next spring 
the eggs hatch, and the young mantids start their 
beneficial work of destroying other insects. Since 
the mantids are friends of man, we need not worry 
about control measures. The one shown here is 
Stagmomantis carolina. 
FIGURE 28.—Tree cricket. 
FIGURE 29.—Mantid. 
Roaches.—The cockroaches make up 
another family of the Orthoptera. Two 
kinds are rather common over the United 
States, the small German roach and the 
larger American roach. These insects 
prefer to remain in dark places, although 
at times they do venture into the light. 
Their very flat bodies permit them to get 
into extremely narrow cracks. ‘These in- 
sects have four wings, but they are seldom 
used. They feed primarily on human 
foods and waste food products. Cock- 
roaches have incomplete life changes. 
After the eggs hatch, the nymphs shed 
: 7 their skins several times and finally reach 
Co ...._— the adult stage. Some roaches live in the 
RiGURETG OM ROnCH woods in the loose bark of trees or logs, 
