The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-04
FLOWERS OF PREY
Insects of form and Color Of Orchids
la Which Their Prev Think Plant G s n

Insects of Form and Color Of Orchids
Which Their Prey Think PIants.3tl. 4,
| Probably in some respects the most sur
prsing result Of late chronological cxplor-
alton is tho discovery Of semblunces OF or
chidaceous flowers endowed with animal
life and voracious carnivorous appetites,
that seize and 1nconttnently deyour5 in
sect vegetar!ans which. allured by their
form and color, incautlously alight upon
them s1s
These flower insects belong to the GU
rlous family Mantidae, of which we have
a Well-known der IN our Southern
States phasmomantls carolina, commonly
first part of the name was spelled with
an ''e'' instead OF an "a 1t would BIO far
more appropriate. since no known Insect
- and
to Its class. Its fore: Is characteristic Of
Its predatory habits. The mantis Is real
" Il four-legged insect for theefore limbs
are SO modified that they cannot under
any circumstances be used in walking
and are no more properly termed legs
than would be the arms Of men or the
wings Of birds. They are. In fact. the nat
ural weapons Of the insect and arc used
for nothing else than lighting and for
capturing prey.
An Insect discovered by Wood Mason
masQuerades sometimes as a pink and ut
othcrs .as a white orchid; The whole
flower insect Is either conspicuously white
or of n resplendent pink color. and both
In color and form perfectly initiates q
petal of an orchdaceous blossom, tho la
bellum. often of Il very curious shape. Is
represented by tho a domen OF the In
sect, while the parts which might be taken
are actually the femurs OF the two pairs
OF posterlor limbs, so greatly expanded.
ilattencd and shaped In such manner aS 20
represent the remaining petals Of the flow
Ac m 1o11tiS rests, leHU uOWnWhEu,
amid tho stems and leaves of a plant tho
forelegs drawn in SO that they cannot
DO seen TIE tnEhs e each sde wo ana n the
t trnrax and the abdomen raised ct right
angles to each other the insect might
easily at first sight deceive more T di hernn
mating entomologists than the money
seekers that settle unon IT. ,,,,,
pink orchid, IS mentlSnod y Pr IVA, ,xal!aee
the AUTHORITY Sut,eH IS p nlurIng
and uI'p eaptnring butterflies. The expecsad
guest having arrived. the seeming feast
spread ont for his delectal 'on arlsos ana
Prof $. Kurz. while at peg"; y 10 Lever
orchid Of species un taimI 70 ~ n'',,
mantis of the genus Gonyylus, AS, Is
common with the, habit Of its kind when
alghting upon Il plant. i hung head down,
New ,sn' sometimes motionless. and some;
times swaying gently like q flower TOUCHED
BY gentle zephyrs, "A bright violet-hiue
It's forelegs banded violet and black. eX-
tended like petals. stimulated the 5corolla
OF a tpapilIonnceous flower sotperfeotly as
to deceive the eyes of pracllced bota-
MIST
A whole tribe Of spiders, members OF the
lhomlsadoe family, living ~ Hover cups,
flowers In which they lilo in walt for VIC
TINS.
Brazilian birds. hy-catc herS display q
brilliantly colored crest easily mistaken
for flower cup Insects, attracted by
what appears 70 be a. freshly opened
Asiatic lizard Is entirely colored like tho
surface of tho desert plains Who're 1t
lives. except that at each angle OF the
mouth blooms a brilliant rod folding
| of the flesh exactly resembling little
flower that grows in the sann. Insects
lured BY the seeming. flower are lneonu-
| nently disillusioned when they settle upon
| tt-S,cicntilic American,