Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-03

I
! ceal itself it viii place itself in a position
I with its forelegs and long autenne or fee
/ ers in q line with its body forward. and its
I intermediate and hind lees backward and
lie motionless, and looks like piece of bark
/ or e part of the plant on which il is found.
There is another insect known by the
local name of devils riding horse in the
| Southern states. 1 have seen a few in
| Texas. It resembles somewhat the above
| last mentioned. 1t is Spectrum bivittatum
of Say, also known as Anisomorpha bupre
strnides Stall Its body is from an
three inches in the female; the body is
cylindrical rather fattened on top; the
female is half an inch in diameter in the
center, tapering toward each end, \ black
longitudinal line runs along the center Gifts
| back with yellowish or brownish lines on
either side. 1t has Ions legs and antenne
which are very slender. IS a plant feeder
and perfectly harmless. When disturbed
or handled it enits q smoky-like spray from
the body which has a somewhat offensive
odor, but is noE-poisonous. This is the
clumsy Insects means of defense.
viii quote from Thomas Say. who wrote
in 1925 his observations of this insect:
ION journey to Florida with DR..
Mcclure obtained a female which was
crawling up the body of an orange tree on
Cumberland Island, Ga. The male I had
not seen until the recent return of
MIR T. Peale from that country, who
brought many individuals of both
sexes. Fe observed them in plenty in the
southern part of that region. They were
generally in pairs, on the palmetto, lying
close to the rib Of the leaf. MIR. Peale re-
marked that when taken they discharge
milky fluid from two pores of the thro3x,
diffusing strong odor, in a great measure
like that of the common Grapthalium, or
'.life everlasting" and as this plant was
growing near the place where they oc-
Cured, he supposed that 1t constituted at
least part of their food. They vary much
in color, and it is believed that the two
dorsal yellow stripes are never wanting.
Says Entomology; vol. |; p. 81
I hope you will be able to secure speci-
mems of this insect in the spring, but don't
be afraid of the g kerspat," as it looks
more like little fog or mist than anything
else WILLIAM r. HOWARD.
|, Fort Worth, Tex.
DR.. Howard sent US some very good
drawings of the insects referred to in his
letter, but not being able to get them en-
graved to our satisfaction in time to make
them seasonable, we finally concluded to
print his favor without the illustrations.
The insect so well described by DR.. How
ard is most widely known by the common
name of walking STICK though in few
localities we have heard it called ''the
DEVILS riding horse;' but undoubtedly the
insect most generally known as devils
riding horse" is the A1antis carolina, illus
trated and described by us last week.
OF the walking sticks" the slender
species described by DR.. Howard is a
species of wide range, being found in all
the states from the Gulf of Mexico to Can
ada. Professor Riley says of it in his
United States report for 1875:
Owing to its slender. long-legged, slow
moving characteristics, it has been
properly dubbed the 'walking stick
''stick bug, " and "specter," while in some
localities it is known as the "prarie
alligator" devils riding horse' and
other odd cognomens generally indicative
of its appearance, and OF superstition
which is quite prevalent, but most IN
founded, that it is poisonous and can sting
or bite.
This insect Spectrum femoratum), is
entirely harmless SO far as relates TO in
juries inflicted upon man or any other
living creature; still it correctly classes
with the insects injurious to vegetation.
owing to the fact that it feeds upon vegeta-
ton exclusively, and, in some localities,
has been known to appear in large num-
bers. Professor Riley quotes Mr.. E. H.
Conklin of Cumberland county, Pennsyl-
vania, as stating:
This insect, though not at ali common,
and seldom numerous, has made its annual
appearance in our peach orchards for forty
years, and only once in this time has it
been so numerous as TO be injurious. In
this instance, which was about ten years
ago, these insects denuded row of locust
trees that formed a shelter on the north
west side of peach orchard. For half a
dozen rods from the locust row the peach
trees were also stripped of their leaves.
Previous to this time we never saw them
on any other trees except the peach. As to |
color, some are light green and others
brown among male and female. The |
female has much heavier body than the |
male.
Professor Riley then goes on to state that
he has visited localities where the insect
was growing very destructive to vegeta-
ton, and adds:
The underbrush was very effectually |
cleaned of its foliage, and the insects hung |
from and chung from the bare twigs and |
branches in great clusters. When |
ever they have entirely stripped the trees
and shrubs they move in bodies TO fresh |
pastures, crowding upon one another and |
covering the ground, the fence rails and |
everything about them, so that it is impos-
sible for person to enter the woods with
out being covered by them.
Such visitations are doubtless extremely
rare, but might occur anywhere, therefore
the walking stick is to be regarded by the
agriculturist with suspicion as being no
friend. Further on, Professor Riley says
of this species:
The insect changes very little in appear
ance from birth TO maturity, except so far
as color is concerned-it mouths twice.
Growth is rapid, averaging under favorable
about six weeks from birth
to maturity. With age the green color
gives way to various shades of green or
brown. In this way we find great CORE
vegetation is green the "specters"
are green also; when the foliage turns
in autumn they change color correspond
ingly, and when the foliage is stripped,
they so closely resemble, in both APP
pearance-and color, the twigs upon which
they rest-the habit of stretching out the
front legs and feelers greatly enhancing the
where they are few in
numbers it is difficult TO recognize them. A
few green specimens, more particularly of
the males. may always be found, even
among the mature individuals.
In contemplating these singular crea-
lures and their wonderful resemblance to
the vegetation upon which they occur one
cannot help noticing still further resem-
0lance. They are born with the bursting
Of the buds in spring; they drop their
eggs as the trees drop their seeds, and they