ON A NEW SPECIES OF PAPILIO FROM UGANDA. 165 



bug" in the States There seems some doubt, however, about the 

 identity, &c., of the fungus employed in the latter case. ]3efore 

 any really successful work can be done in this subject, if it is 

 to be done, we must know a great deal more of the life-history 

 of the parasitic insect fungi than we do at the present time. 

 Wye Court, Wye, April 2iid, 1897. 



ON A NEW SPECIES OF PAPILIO FROM UGANDA. 

 By the Hon. Walter Rothschild. 



Papilio mimeticus, sp. nov. 

 This most remarkable butterfly is closely allied to Papilio 

 rex, Oberth. ; but while that s^jecies is almost the exact mimic 

 of ]\Ieliiida formosa, Salv. & God., Papilio mimeticus mimics 

 Melinda morgeni mcrcedonia, Karsch. 



^ Upper side. — Fore wings : differ from P. rex in Laving the 

 basal area deep chestnut instead of orange-rufous ; in this chestnut 

 area is a longitudinal pale streak behind cell, not present in typical 

 P. rev. The creamy spot near apex of coll is half, obliterated. The 

 ci'eam-coloured discal spots are much smaller, and four in number 

 instead of seven ; those between veins four and six and the one between 

 veins seven and eight being absent. The subraargiual spots are much 

 smaller. Hind wings : basal white spots much smaller, the first one 

 before the cell almost obliterated by black scales. The fourth discal 

 spot between veins two and three reduced to a tiny line ; of the 

 remaining discal series only one is present ; those between veins three 

 and six absent ; that one between veins six and seven reduced to a 

 mere dot. The double row of post-median spots much reduced in 

 size. One of the most striking differences, however, between P. rex 

 and P. mimeticus is that while in P. rex the ground colour of the hind 

 wings is uniform black, in P. mimeticus the disc of the wing is dull 

 chestnut, this colour extending along the abdominal margin to near 

 apex of vein. 



Under side shows the same differences as above, in addition to which 

 the two anterior white marginal spots are absent. The two discal spots 

 between veins four and six, though much reduced in size, are also 

 present. On the hind wing the first basal creamy patch has no black 

 scaling, and there is an additional discal creamy spot between veins 

 five and six. Also the chestnut disc of hind wings is not so distinct 

 as on the upper side. Oberthiir, in his original description of P. rex 

 (Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1886, p. 114), says : abdomen black above, white 

 on sides and below ; but m my specimen of P. re.v from Uganda 

 Protectorate the under side is black with a narrow but distinct median 

 white line, and in this agrees entirely with P. mimeticus. 



Hah. Msarosaro, Uganda, December 20th, 1896. 



This is the choicest capture of a very fine collection sent me 

 by Dr. Ansorge, whose care in labelling and collecting ought to. 

 prove a lesson to all entomologists. 



