Ixxxiv 



Mimicry in N. Ehodesian Lepidoptera : observations 

 NOTED ON the SPOT. — Prof . PouLTON said that he had recently 

 come across the following passage in a letter written to him 

 on January 28, 1907, by Dr. S. A. Neave from Kansanshi, 

 N.W. Rhodesia :— 



" I have taken one specimen of a most remarkable diurnal 

 moth which, especially on the wing, is a very perfect mimic 

 of a large Teracolus or Belenois. In fact I took it at first 

 for a ? T. regina. I have also seen two specimens (which I 

 did not have a chance of taking), of an astonishingly good 

 chrysippus mimic, which would appear to be some species 

 of EuryjyJiene or some allied genus. The resemblance both 

 in coloration and flight is wonderful. It occurs in the thickly 

 wooded type of country which we get here." 



Dr. Neave had informed him that the moth was the 

 Saturniid, Pseudaphelia apolUnaris Boisd., and that its 

 Pierine-like flight differed widely from that of its allies. He 

 also said that the butterfly was the female of Diestogyna iris 

 Auriv. This species is referred to in the following passage 

 from Dr. Neave's pajDer in Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1910, 

 p. 38 :— 



" Very conimon throughout Katanga and the northern portion 

 of N.E. Rhodesia, west of the Mchinga escarpment. ... It 

 would seem to be a true Batesian mimic of Limnas chrysippus. 

 It usually settles on the ground, and when doing so, tem- 

 porarily sits with expanded wings showing its chrysijipus-like 

 coloration. When going to rest, however, it settles with 

 closed wings among dry leaves, and then, owing to its cryptic 

 underside, is extremely inconspicuous." 



In view of the natural and proper desire for complete 

 evidence that model and mimic fly together and resemble 

 each other in life, it was right that these observations, noted 

 on the spot when the insects were seen for the first time 

 and would attract the keenest attention, should be recorded 

 in a permanent form. 



Notes on insects visiting the common primrose. — Prof. 

 PouLTON said that Mr. W. H. T. Tams' interesting paper in 

 " The Journal of Botany " (Vol. 60, July 1922, p. 203) had 

 reminded him of some observations made in the spring of 



