LOVE DANCES OF 8ALTIGRADES. 



53 



Bvolu 

 tions. 



Philseus 

 militaris 



Fig. 28. Position of male 

 PliilzeiLS militaris when ap- 

 proaching the female. (Af- 

 ter Peckham.) 



Again he dance.d sidewise before her, strutting and showing off like a 

 j)eacock, whirling around and around. Professor Peckham at first supposed 

 tliat tliis turning around was accidental, but it hap- 

 pened so regularly at a certain stage of 

 Color courtship, that he concluded that it was an 

 iini)ortant part of his display, serving the 

 better to show his brilliant abdomen. ^ 

 111 approaching the female the males of Philtcus 

 militaris were very eager and fairly quiv- 

 ered with excitement. The first two legs 

 were raised over the head and curved toward 

 each other, so that the tips nearly met, and the palps 

 were moved up and down. (Fig. 28.)''^ 



Astia vittata is peculiar in the fact that it has two well marked male 

 forms, which shade into each otlicr, but maintain at least one characteristic 

 distinction, namely, three tufts of liair which mark 

 the black form, niger. Mrs. Peckham was kind 

 enough to send me a box in which were packed 

 a number of specimens of the female 



T.. „ and both varieties of the male, in order 



Dance of , t • i i i i i 



Astia "^^*' ^ might witness these remarkable 

 courtship dances. This was prior to the 

 receipt of the work from which I have been quot- 

 ing, and I had but a hint of what I might expect, 

 and how best to proceed. Moreover, my specimens 

 unfortunately, arrived in a bad condition. All 

 were dead except one female and two males, and 

 Fio.29. MaieAstia'vittataindanc- tho latter wcrc much dilapidated, one of them par- 



I 



ing position before female. (From ticularly bciiig apparently iu a dying condition. 



succeeded, however, in resuscitating both males by 

 doses of water and good nursing. One of them 

 in a short time seemed quite well. 



I placed the three together in a box, and had 

 the privilege of observing, in some degree, what 

 the Peckhams have so fully described. The most 

 lively male at once began animated movements, 

 which were evidently induced by the presence of 

 the female, who, however, ran away and kept cir- 

 cling around the box, running over the walls and 

 climbing upon the glass cover without showing 

 any disposition to respond to the advances made. 

 The male threw himself into what may be described as a rampant position 



Fig. 30. The male of Astia vittata 

 in the act of vaulting during a 

 love dance. (From Nature.) 



' Idem, page 49. * Idem, page 51, 



