18 
THE PAN-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGIST 
triatomes were consumed quickly from coxa to tarsus or vice versa with no foreleg 
involved. Smaller third instars were consumed in two or three minutes, fifth instars and 
adults in 40 to 59 minutes. 
The isolation area in the back yard consisted of a 360 x 120 x 30 cm rough redwood 
garden box with 70 cm vertical uprights at each end supporting a horizontal bamboo pole. 
Measurements for the garden box, and egg cases below, indicate length, width and 
height. The box was planted with lettuce, beets, carrots, peppers and parsley and covered 
with green nylon netting. The most noticeable insect inhabitants were ants, aphids and 
small beetles. The redwood box extended east and west with the north side bordering a 
cement walk extending 105 cm to the south wall of the house. The east, south and west 
sides of the box were surrounded by pea gravel covered open space 105 to 240 cm from 
the nearest uncovered ground surface, trees or other plants. A redwood tub with 
flowering carnations was placed at the west end of the box for transfer of the mantid 
when replanting the box..Observation of feeding behavior was made on both confined and 
freed mantids. 
One female Iris which ate two fifth instar T. p. navajoensis was released in the garden 
box X-18and recaptured X-31-75. On X-18-75 another female which also ate two fifth instar 
T. p. navajoensis deposited one egg case averaging 13 X 75 X 5.5 mm on filter paper in the 
laboratory. Another female which ate 13 conenose bugs (four third, one fourth, four fifth 
instar nymphs and one male T. p. navajoensis; one male T. p. protracta (Uhler); and one fifth 
instar and one male Paratriatoma hirsuta Barber) was released XI-18-75 in the garden box 
while depositing salivary fluids on the writer's fingers. This female deposited two egg 
cases 18X6X5 mm and 17X5X5 mm in tandem on the outside of the rough redwood 
siding in a nail depression 22.5 cm below the SE corner of the box on 1-11-76. A single egg 
case 14 X 8 X 6 mm was deposited by the same female 1-12-76 on a vertical support at the E 
end of the box 67.5 cm above the gravel surface, under and slightly N of the end of a 2.5 
cm diameter bamboo pole supporting the netting. Gurney (1955, ibid 31:67-72) measured 
three egg cases 10, 16 and 20 mm long, 6-7 mm wide at base and 5 mm high for one 
captive female at Riverside, CA. When the netting was removed over the growing plants, 
the female remained at the E end of the box on the vertical support near the single egg 
case. During warm sunny January days the mantid wandered off onto the white stucco 
house wall into the shade, was recaptured and placed on carnation plants at the W end of 
the planter box. From XI1-28-75 to 1-31-76 this mantid ate five conenose bugs handed it in 
the garden with forceps (one fourth instar T.p. navajoensis, one fifth instar P. hirsuta plus 
the adults indicated above). Argentine ants, aphids and other insects were available to the 
mantid which remained free in the garden. It hung mostly head down on the plant stems 
near buds or flowers until a victim came within reach. On 11-7-76 the mantid moved under 
the shelter of a large white carnation flower during a three day rain. On Feb. 26 a 
distended abdomen indicated feeding on available garden insects. Total length on Feb. 
27 was 48 mm. On Feb. 28 with an 80°F air temperature, the mantid refused one fourth 
instar and one female T. p. navajoensis offered on forceps. On Mar. 28 at 63°F, one fourth 
instar was refused. The mantid disappeared IV-7-76. 
The first mantids hatched in the laboratory were noted VI1-20-76 or 276 days after 
deposit of the single egg case on the filter paper. The last mantid observed hatching was 
on IX-3-76. Of 46 nymphs hatched 31 were released alive on garden plants, 10 were found 
dead and five others had been partially eaten. None were seen hatching from the double 
or single egg cases on the garden box. Six nymphs measured 6 mm and one 10 mm long. 
Laboratory temperatures averaged much cooler than outside air temperatures. One 40 
mm nymph was captured in the front yard on XI-9-76. Another 44 mm nymph rested on a 
150 cm pole in the sun 104 cm above the ground from Sept. 23 among tomato plants and 
disappeared X-8-76. One 45 mm nymph was collected on the netting over the garden box 
on IV-8-77, fed on one fourth instar T. p. navajoensis in the laboratory and was released I V 
10-77. 
It is therefore certain that some mantids will eat Triatoma and Paratriatoma. Those 
occurring in natural microhabitats of conenose bugs and their environs, especially dens 
of the wood rat, Neotoma, would be most significant in possible control of conenose 
bugs . — SH ERWIN F. WOOD, 614 West Shenandoah St., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. 
