COLOUR CHANGES IN MANTIS RELIGIOSA L.

Abstract

The literature contains many references to the close resemblance of various Orthoptera to the colour of the vegetation and soil on which they occur. Hancock (1911) noted this particularly with the acridid Dissosteira carolina (Linn.) and attempted to determine whether this species changes colour at the critical stage of the last moult. From his experiments he concluded that the Carolina locust does not change abruptly from one colour to another during the critical period following ecdysis, but that the change takes place gradually.