Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1895 — A DELUSIVE INSECT. [ARTICLE]

A DELUSIVE INSECT.

You Cannot Distinguish It From a Twig. I Unique among the insect creation are the stick insects, which have the peculiar gift of making others believe that they are inanimate objects. This insect is commonly met with in the high, dry, yellow grass of Nyassaland, in South Africa. When it is in repose, with its legs stretched closely against its back, it is difficult to believe that it is not a dry twig. It is necessary to touch it in order to find that it is alive. Tire insects smaller and weaker than itself which do this are eaten as a reward for their inquiring spirit. The twig insect undoubtedly lives by its shape, which helps to provide It with food at a minimum of ezer-

tion. It enables it to escape from all sorts of dangers. Other animals with a taste for insect food seldom detect it owing to Its twig-like appearance. Moreover, it is hardly worth their while to trouble about such an elusive animal. But no animal seems born to enjoy this life without worries and enemies. It appears that there is a curious and large toad that makes a specialty of finding twig insects. This toad would rather hunt twig insects than eat the juciest and most easily caught green flies The stick insect is a member of the mantis group, several members of which have remarkable qualities. One of them, perhaps the best known, is the praying mantis. When in repose it appears to be on its knees, and its forelegs are raised and clasped together like the hands of a person at a prayer As it has large eyes, which it turns upward, its whole attitude suggests that it is engaged in earnest prayer. The mantis family includes the leaf insect, the spectre insect and several others. They have the power of Imitating leaves and blades of grass. The mantidae have a narrow, compressed and’elongated abdomen and a long thorax. The head is triangular, with two large eyes, three small Btemmatlc eyes and long bristle-like antennae. The wings fold in fanlike manner, and the wing-covers aro long, narrow and thin. The second and third pair of legs are long and slender and are used only for locomotion. The first pair are used as weapons of combat and instruments of prehension, and in the case of the praying mantis for the purpose of deluding the pious. One part of the leg closes on another so tigntly as to cut like a pair of scissors. All the mantidae have a of waiting for their prey. Many of them—as, for example, the stick insect —are very large. Some South American ones are four inches in length. They are usually very pugnacious, fighting much among themselves. A fight usually ends in one of the combatants losing his head. Tho victor eats the remains. The Chinese catch specimens of one mantis family and set them to fight, betting on the result.