CHAPTER XI 



PSEUDACRAEA EURYTUS 



The Nymph aline genus Pseudacraea is closely allied to 

 the more widely spread Limenitis, but is confined to 

 the Ethiopian regions, including Madagascar. The name 

 is an excellent one ; for out of a considerable number 

 of species, although the number has been much reduced 

 during recent years owing to the fusion of many " species " 

 into one, only two are non-mimetic. The remainder 

 resemble for the most part members of the Acraeine genus, 

 Planema, a few mimic Acraea itself, one mimics theDanaine 

 genus Danaida and others ^mawm. 



One of the most remarkable points in the resemblances 

 is the fidelity with which a single polymorphic species 

 mimics sundry species of models of very different appear- 

 ances in different localities ; and where a model is sexually 

 dimorphic the sexes of the mimic faithfully copy the 

 corresponding sex of the model. Yet in the very locality 

 where this dimorphism of model and mimic exists other 

 species of monomorphic models are closely copied by 

 monomorphic forms of the same species of mimic. 



The closeness of the resemblance is most remarkable, 

 and is indicated by names such as deceptor, simulator, 

 imitator, etc. Indeed, as Eltringham saj'-s in his Mimicry 

 in African Butterflies, the deception caused Hewitson 

 himself, a violent opponent of Bates's explanation of 

 these resemblances, to comment upon the strange simil- 

 arity between Acraeine and Nymphaline. 



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