TRUE MIMICRY 103 



Most interesting in this respect is, perhaps, the Asiatic- African 

 genus Eiymnias, a Satyrid whose numerous (over thirty) species all 

 seem to be in need of protection, for many of them mimic immune 

 butterflies, while the rest are inconspicuous and are provided with 

 protective colouring on the under surface. On Plates II and III 

 some of the former are depicted beside their models. The single 

 African species [Eiymnias i^hegea) (PI. II, Fig. 20) mimics, as has 

 been already mentioned, the prevalent Acrcea gea (PI. II, Fig. 31). 

 Many of the Asiatic Elymniidse are mimics of the immune Euploea3, 

 especially the dark-brown species with steel-blue shinnner, such as 

 E. patna in India, E. beza in Borneo, and E. i^enanga in Borneo. In 

 Amboina there flies an E. vlteUia, the female of which mimics 

 accurately the plain, light-brown, inconspicuous Eiiploea cUmena 

 which occurs there. The male of Eiymnias leucocyiiut (PI. Ill, 

 Fig. 36) resembles the brown and blue shimmering Euploea hinotata 

 (PL III, Fig. 35), while the female mimics the dusky, radially-striped 

 female of Euploea midamus (PI. Ill, Figs. 27 and 38): the male of 

 Eiymnias cassijjhoiie resembles the blackish-brown and deep-blue 

 iridescent Euplaia claudia, while the female is like the female of 

 Euploia midamus. A number of species of Eiymnias copy Danaids : 

 thus both sexes of E. la is are like Danais vulgaris (PI. Ill, Figs. 3y 

 and 30), and E. ceryx and E. timandra are like another similar 

 Danaid, D. tytia. The female only of E. undularis of Ceylon 

 mimics the brown-yellow B. genutia (PI. II, Fig. 33) in general 

 appearance, though not minutely, while the male (PI. II, Fig. 34) 

 seems to attempt an imitation of the blue Eupkeae. A rare form, 

 not often represented in collections, Eiymnias hilnstleri, bears a 

 striking resemblance to the Danaid, Ideopsis daos Boisd., with its 

 white wings spotted with black, while three species mimic the 

 probably immune Pierid genus Delias, especially on the under 

 surface, which is decorated with yellow and red. Perhaps the one 

 which has diverged farthest from the original type is Eiymnias 

 agondas Boisd. (PI. II, Fig. 33) of the Papua region and the island of 

 Waigeu, for it bears two large blue eye-spots on the posterior wings, 

 and thus, especially in the case of the almost white female, closely 

 resembles Tenaris hioculatus (PI. Ill, Fig. 31). There are thus seven 

 or eight types of marking and colouring difl"ering from one another, 

 and belonging to six diflerent genera and a much greater number of 

 species, which are mimicked Ijy this one genus Eiymnias. 



It is most interesting to note how these mimetic species give 

 up, more or less, the original sympathetic colouring of the under 

 surface, and use in establishing their mimicry the marking elements 

 I. H 



