. Economic entomology for the farmer and fruit-grower. Beneficial insects. 84 AN ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. cealed, they rest, body close to the surface, prothorax elevated, and forelegs held in the attitude of prayer, whence the term "praying mantes," Mantis religiosa, which is applied to a for- FlG. Stagmomantis Carolina.—a, the female ; b, the male. eign species. But prayer is far from the object in view, as any small insect that happens within reach learns to its cost. A sud- den clasp wounds and crushes it into helplessness, and the Mantis then leisurely devours its victim, the forele
. Economic entomology for the farmer and fruit-grower. Beneficial insects. 84 AN ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. cealed, they rest, body close to the surface, prothorax elevated, and forelegs held in the attitude of prayer, whence the term "praying mantes," Mantis religiosa, which is applied to a for- FlG. Stagmomantis Carolina.—a, the female ; b, the male. eign species. But prayer is far from the object in view, as any small insect that happens within reach learns to its cost. A sud- den clasp wounds and crushes it into helplessness, and the Mantis then leisurely devours its victim, the forelegs serving admirably as hands in the operation. The eggs are laid in a mass on twigs or branches, held to- gether by a peculiar silken fibre which encases and protects each Q.^<^ as well as the entire cluster. The predaceous habit excludes these insects from the category of injurious forms ; but they are not sufficiently common in our country to be of any practical advantage. They are southern in geographical range, and only one species, Stagmomantis Caro- lina, is rarely found north of New Jersey on the Atlantic coast. The Ambulatoria, or "walkers," include a series of very curious species, popularly known as "walking-sticks" and "walking-leaves," represented in our fauna by a few species belonging to the family Phasmidcc. The true home of these. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Smith, John Bernhard, 1858-1912. Philadelphia and London, J. B. Lippincott company
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