243 
site of the European “ Praying Mantis;” the U. S. National Museum 
contains two species bred from the egg-cases of our common North 
American Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina), as well as a punctured egg- 
ease from Australia, collected by Mr. F. M. Webster, and a species 
from Japan sent by Mr. Koebele. Mayr mentions incidentally the fact. 
that there are several species in his own collection and that of the 
Zoodlogical Museum in Vienna bred from the eggs of exotic Mantide, 
and Westwood summarized as long ago as 1844 ten species, three of 
them from gum copal, two from Europe, two from the Isle of France, 
one from King Georges Sound, one from Brazil, and one from New 
South Wales. 
This genus, which 
was originally | 
erected by Spinola 
in 1811, was subse- 
quently described 
under the name of 
Palmon by Dalman 
in 1825, as Priome- 
rus by Walker in 
1833, and as Bac- 
tyrischion by Costa 
in 1857. It seems 
to form in certain 
features or charac- 
ters a link between 
the subfamilies 
Chaleidine and 
Torymine, having 
the enlarged hind 
thighs of the former 
subfamily and the very long ovipositor of many members of the latter. 
It has been placed, deed, in the latter subfamily by Walker and other 
writers, but recent authors, following Mayr, have concluded that this 
genus bears a stronger relationship to the Chalcidine, and Mr. Howard 
has so placed it in his generic synopsis of the Chalcidide. In antennal 
structure and the character of the pronotum, in addition to its enlarged 
and dentate posterior femora, it is closely allied to the other genera of 
this latter subfamily. Its lengthy ovipositor, which is, in fact, almost 
the only character which it has in common with the Torymine, is simply 
particularly developed for the special needs of the insect, as without it 
_the thick and tough egg-cases of Mantis could not be pierced. Our 
American species has frequently been reared, and was mentioned as 
long ago aS 1854 by Glover. Professor Riley reared it in 1868 in Mis- 
Sourl, and specimens have since remained undescribed in his collection. 
It was not, in fact, until 1885 that it received a specific name. In this 
FiG. 28.—Podagrion mantis, adult female—greatly enlarged (original). 
