Mimetic Relationships in the genus Heliconius. 143 



moths, including Arctiids, Hypsids and Syntomids. With 

 regard to H. erato phyllis, Seitz (Macrolepidoptera) records 

 that, whilst it occurs all the year round in Rio and Santos, 

 it becomes comparatively scarce in January and February, 

 at which season only worn specimens are found. At the 

 same time Eresia lansdorfi appears, a species which, as 

 may be seen from its pattern, copies not a fresh, but a 

 worn and faded phyllis. Several forms of Heliconius 

 resemble species of TitJiorea and Hirsutis. Some have 

 already been mentioned, as H. atthis, etc. H. crispus flies 

 with T. bonplandii descandollesi in the Cauca Valley. 

 H. hecuba mimics T. humboldti, and H. hecuba tolima is a 

 copy of T. bonplandii. H. hecalesia resembles T. hecalesina, 

 Ceratinia peridia, Callithomia tridactyla, and others which 

 form a large association, whilst its Central American form, 

 formosus, resembles T. pinthias. 



It is remarkable that H. cJiaritJwnia, perhaps the com- 

 monest species of Heliconius, should have no close imitators. 

 Professor Poulton points out to me that the females of 

 Catonephele nyctimus approach this pattern, as also do 

 those of C. acontius. The latter has a wider eastward 

 range than charithonia, but the former is the better mimic 

 in that the hind-wing yellow band is broader, though in 

 both cases the resemblance is very slight. The peruvianus 

 form of cJiaritJwnia is evidently a modification in the direc- 

 tion of TitJiorea pavonii, Butl., the marginal and sub- 

 marginal spots being white instead of yellow. In one 

 respect it is a better mimic of the TitJiorea than is H. attJiis, 

 since the fore-wing yellow band is broader, as in the Tithorea, 

 and curves down, not up, as in AttJiis. The $ of Pieris 

 viardi, Boisd., is also modified in the direction of H. cJiari- 

 tJwnia, whilst P. mandela titJioreides, Butl., approaches 

 TitJiorea pavonii in the same way as does H. cJiaritJionia 

 peruvianus. 



Some of the most interesting Heliconius mimics occur 

 amongst the Pierinae, such cases being the more noticeable 

 since the normal Pierine fascies are so unlike those of 

 Heliconius. Thus. Euterpe bellona hyrnetJio, Fruhst., $, from 

 Bolivia, has black wings with a fore-wing discal yellowish 

 patch and a radiate red pattern on the hind-wing, thus 

 resembling similar forms of H. erato. Euterpe bellona 

 cutila, Fruhst., $, also shows the incipient stages of such a 

 pattern. E. belloiia negrina, Feld., $, bears on the under- 

 side a very good copy of the underside of H. erato venusta. 



