in PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCES AMONG ANIMALS 69 



species of Hesthesis run about on timber, and cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from ants. There is one genus of South American 

 Longicorns that appears to mimic the shielded bugs of the 

 genus Scutellera. The Gymnocerus capucinus is one of 

 these, and is very like Pachyotris fabricii, one of the 

 Scutelleridee. The beautiful Gymnocerus dulcissimus is also 

 very like the same group of insects, though there is no 

 known species that exactly corresponds to it ; but this is not 

 to be wondered at, as the tropical Hemiptera have been com- 

 paratively so little cared for by collectors. 



Insects mimicking Species of other Orders 

 The most remarkable case of an insect of another order 

 mimicking a beetle is that of the Condylodera tricondyloides, 

 one of the cricket family from the Philippine Islands, which 

 is so exactly like a Tricondyla (one of the tiger beetles) that 

 such an experienced entomologist as Professor Westwood 

 placed it among them in his cabinet, and retained it there 

 a long time before he discovered his mistake ! Both insects 

 run along the trunks of trees, and whereas Tricondylas are 

 very plentiful, the insect that mimics it is, as in all other 

 cases, very rare. Mr. Bates also informs us that he found at 

 Santarem, on the Amazon, a species of locust which mimicked 

 one of the tiger beetles of the genus Odontocheila, and was 

 found on the same trees which they frequented. 



There are a considerable number of Diptera, or two- winged 

 flies, that closely resemble wasps and bees, and no doubt 

 derive much benefit from the wholesome dread which those 

 insects excite. The Midas dives, and other species of large 

 Brazilian flies, have dark wings and metallic blue elongate 

 bodies, resembling the large stinging Sphegidse of the same 

 country ; and a very large fly of the genus Asilus has black- 

 banded wings and the abdomen tipped with rich orange, so as 

 exactly to resemble the fine bee Euglossa dimidiata, and both 

 are found in the same parts of South America. We have 

 also in our own country species of Bombylius which are 

 almost exactly like bees. In these cases the end gained by 

 the mimicry is no doubt freedom from attack, but it has some- 

 times an altogether different purpose. There are a number of 

 parasitic flies whos,e larvae feed upon the larvae of bees, such 



