34 OLD-WORLD MIMICS [ch. 



Of smaller size than the Danaines they are charac- 

 terised, like this group, by their tenacity of life and 

 by the presumably distasteful character of their 

 body juices. They are said also to possess an offensive 

 odour apparently exuded through the thorax. The 

 majority of the members of the group fall into the 

 two genera Acraea and Planema. Species of Acraea 

 are on the whole characterised by their general bright 

 red-brown colour and by the conspicuous black spots 

 on both fore and hind wings. A typical Acraeine 

 pattern is that of Acraea egina (PI. VI, fig. 7) which 

 is mimicked remarkably closely by the Nymphaline 

 Pseudacraea hoisduvali and by the Swallow-tail Papilio 

 ridleyanus (PL VI, figs. 5 and 6). 



In the genus Planema the spots are as a rule fewer 

 and clustered near the body, while on both fore and 

 hind wings there is a tendency to develop clear wide 

 band-like areas of orange or white (cf. PI. VII). 



Like the Acraeas the Planemas are principally 

 mimicked by species of Pseudacraea and of Papilio. 

 Some of the cases of resemblance between Planema 

 and Pseudacraea are among the most striking known. 

 Planema macarista is one of those comparatively rare 

 instances in which a model shews a marked difference 

 in the pattern of the two sexes. The clear area on the 

 fore wing of the male is deep orange, whereas in the 

 female it is somewhat different in shape, and, like the 

 area on the hind wing, is white (cf. PI. VII, figs. 1 and 2). 



and Ceylon, is nevertheless a very abundant insect. It cannot, however, 

 be said that it is definitely roimicked by any other species in this region. 



