20 



12. AurOTHISBE Hb. 



HuBNER, Satnml. Exot. Schin. (1806 — 27) Delias Autothisbe. 



BoisDUVAL, Spec. Gdn. I p. 452 (1836) Pieris „ 



MooRF, Cat. Lep. EI.C. I pi. 2a Jig. 4 (1857). . . . „ „ 



Snell. v. Voll., Mo7i. d. Pier. p. 20 pi. i fig. 5 (1865) „ „ 



Stauo., Exot. Schm. /. 35 //. 20 (1884 — 88) .... Prioneris „ 



Of this butterfly, whose eyes during life are dark brown, the cT are common 

 in W. J. in the Megamendoung, the Gedeh and the VVajang mountains at altitudes 

 above 800 metres. I possess also a cf from mount Karang in the province 

 of Bantam, caught there in the middle of the dry season. On the mountain 

 pass of the Megamendoung (1482) they are always to be seen in great numbers, 

 sitting on the wet sand. The 9 on the contrary are rare; Distant and Dr. 

 Martin mention the same thing concerning Prioneris Clemanthe Doubl. from 

 Malacca and Sumatra, and the latter also concerning P. Hypsipyle Weymer 

 from Sumatra, species which are also common in mountainous regions. 

 Autothisbe is also found in the mountains of E. J., but seems to be less 

 common there. Fruhstorfer differentiates the specimens of E. J. as a form 

 Orientalis from those of W. J. ; I must, however, doubt the soundness of this 

 separation. Everything he gives as a characteristic of the E. J. form is found 

 also among the W. J. ones. 



The metamorphosis is still unknown ; yet De Nicevile mentions Capparis 

 Ten era Dalz as the foodplant of the related P. Sita Feld. 



In series of ^ the progress of the evolutional increase of the black on the 

 under-side of the hind-wings is distinctly perceptible. The yellow there is 

 sometimes very bright, but pales into white, and in that case is often covered 

 more and more by black scales. 



Partisans of the Mimicry theory maintain that the 9 of this species mimics 

 Thvca Crithoe Bsd. Both species are indeed common in the same mountain 

 districts. But the profit which ought to be derived from this likeness is very 

 little conformable to the fact that exactly this would be protected 9 is rare, and 

 the unprotected c^', on the contrary, very common. An equal stage in the 

 process of the colour-evolution, to which both species are subject, explains this 

 likeness better. De Niceville also maintains in the same way and for the same 

 reason that the Sumatra species P. Hypsipyle Weymer in both sexes mimics 

 those of Thyca Belisama Cram, Glauca Butl. 



