CHAPTER IV 

 INSECT ACTORS 



THE foes of insects are very numerous, and 

 therefore it is not surprising to find how 

 very perfectly and wonderfully Natural Selection 

 has played its part in gradually adapting these 

 more or less defenceless creatures to their en- 

 vironment, and in supplying them with the 

 means of escaping the notice of their enemies. 

 Indeed, nowhere shall we find such striking and 

 remarkable examples of protective mimicry as 

 amongst the denizens of the insect world. Nor 

 is it necessary for us to go far afield in our 

 search, for every English country lane, wood- 

 land, and garden will be found to contain these 

 insect actors. 



Protective resemblance, with which insect 

 mimicry is intimately associated, is one of the 

 most interesting and remarkable phenomena in 

 nature. Throughout the insect world thousands 

 of creatures are to be found that in colour, form, 

 and attitude, so closely imitate some object in 

 their environment, as to be practically indis- 

 tinguishable from the leaf, twig, moss or flower 

 that they impersonate. 



Protective coloration is of course known to 

 exist throughout the animal kingdom, but it is 



IOI 



