The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-20
TWO BUGS OF PREY.
One Chases the Cockroach and the
Other Catches Caterpillars.
From the IEaslinqton So

/ Other Catches Caterpll4srs.
From the Washington star
A Star reporter learned that two bugs
common in Washington, are regarded with
uperstition. One Of these is what house
keepers are accustomed to call the ''ear-
wig" 1t has 100 legs, more or less, makes
its nests in peoples ears, and is an object to
attack with a slipper at every opportunity.
| AS a matter Of fact. this creature is not an
earwig at ALL An earwig is an insect,
while the bug with many legs, so common
here, is a "myTiapod-n The differences
Distinguishing tho the two are too technical
to be worth defining in detail, but one Of
them is that a true insect does not have
more than six legs, whereas some Of the
myriapOds have more than 20. This par
ticular myFiapod has fifteen PAIRS Of legs.
The earwig, properly SO called, is rare in
this country, though plentiful in England,
where it inhabits gardens chiefly, though
sometimes it is lured into houses by lights.
IL is about an inch in length, and It's rear is
furnished with "a pair of long forceps that
may pinch little. Most remarkable among
the traits Of the earwig is the way il has of
breeding over its young after they are
Matched from the eggs. It is one Of the very
few insects that take care of their progeny
after they have come into the world. The
earwig does not make nests in peoples ears,
Notwithstanding the popular notion to that
effect, ana 1t is more closely related to the
CRASH ppar than TO anything else.
Whereas the earwig is an outdoor animal,
nocturnal 10 its habits, the myriapod known
hereabouts by that name finds hou e3 its
most convenient habitat. Instead Of de-
stroving it. housekeepers ought to eocour-
age It, because it is a deadly enemy to flies,
and most particularly to cockroaches. 1t
10 predatory creature, and feeds upon
these Objectionable insects The manner in
which it attacks aud devours It's prey is
interesting. IL will approach a cockroach
quietly. aud, leaping upon it, will embrace
IL with it's legs, passing its victim toward
its head from one pair Of legs TO another
until IL gets it within reach of its jaws.
Then it bites into the body of the cockroach
and deyours the soft parts, throwing away
the outer she'll when the latter Is emptied.
Very often this "cermantia forceps," for
such Is its scientific name, and II has no very
satisfactory popular one, sees second cock
roach while it is deyouring the first one.
With Its prey In its mouth it leaps upon
cockroach No. 2, graspin9 the latter between
its legs until it has finished cockroach No. l.
Having polished Off cockroach No. /, it
passes up cockroach No. 2 to its jaws, and
proceeds as before.
This myriapod-the term signifies "thous-
and footed" is generally imagined to have a
poisonous bite, but entomologists do not be-
ieve it ever attacks human beings. 1t is
most clearly in its habits, spending its
entire leisure making its toilet; its prefer
euce is for damp houses, probably not be-
cause 1t prefers damDness itself, but because
the flies aud cockroaches it preys upon fire.
quent such localities. IL you touch one it
Tails to pieces, shedding its legs in reckless
fashion.
The other bug referred to is found out
doors most plentifully in Washington, and
IS popularity known as the ''rearhorse."
Probably there is no insect in the world
about which so many superstitions are en-
tertained. 1t is commonly called in other
parts OF the world the "mantis," the "pray-
ing mantis, " the "soothsayer," and by many
other names. 1t lie the most formidable
enemy OF the caterpillar that commits such
depredations upon Washington trees, and is,
therefore, to be regarded with decided
prejudice In its favor. If you will look
carefully in the winter time, you will find
upon the bare twigs and branches little
elongated clusters Of rearhorse eggs, though
the creature is not SO easv to dis
cover in the summer time, because of the
way 1t has of mimiciug in color and ap-
pearance otherwise whatever it rests upon.
It has first cousin known as the walking
STICK" which is so like a twig in appear
ance, with joints and shoots corresponding,
that you would never imagine il to be any
thing else unless you took it in your hand
Inc mantis grows to be nearly three inches
long; and from its eggs are frequently
Matched out, not only its own Young. but
other insects, which bore into the eggs after
they are laid, and subsequently, come out Of
them in the shape Of flies
1t Is very remarkable thing to observe
mantls In the act of approaching q cater
pillar or other insect that it wishes to de-
your. It walks stealthily towards its in
tended prey, lifting one leg after the other
ever so slowly, until it is fairly upon the
OBJECT, which it seizes with its powerful
1orelegs and proceeds to devcur. FIRE.
quently the mantis flies about toward gun
set. It does not bite human beings. though
1t may pinch little. The mantis-its
name Is Greek for 'soothsayer"-gets this
name from the fact that for ages past it has
been thought to foretell events. Il is
called the praying mantis" because, while
making for victims. ii holds its forelegs in
the air in very much the attitude assumed
on the resemblance of this attitude
to the one they themselves assume in
supplicating the Deity Mohammedans
reverence the insect particularly. The SUI
perstition regarding it extends as far as the
south OF Africa where the Hottenrots be-
lleVe that to kill one would cause the de-
struction Of all their flocks and herds and
future happiness. Among them If q mantis
alghts upon the head OF one of the tribe
that person is looked upon as a saint. Other
people believe that the mantis foratells
death and famine If child is lost and
asks the way to place the insect will point
out the direction. Ia Europe it is common
ly consulted for advice in undertaking any
sort OF enterprise, aud is supposed to indi-
cate disapproval by lowering its head.
Young girls frequently asks It's advice on
Questions of marriage. In short, it is a d.
vinity among bugs