INSECT ACTORS 109 



the legs (the femora) are expanded in the shape 

 of smaller leaves. 



Phy Ilium siccifolium is an inhabitant of East 

 India, and is so extraordinarily leaf-like that 

 many of the natives believe it to be a sort of 

 compound animal and vegetable organism, and 

 sometimes make small artificial trees by binding 

 sticks together to form branches, and fastening 

 upon them numbers of stick insects to represent 

 the leaves. 



In direct contrast to the insects that seek to 

 protect themselves by self-effacement are those 

 whose chief aim and object is to render them- 

 selves as conspicuous as possible, and by 

 donning the brightest and most startling hues, 

 and flaunting them in the full light of day, seem 

 to court observation and defy the world. 



It has been proved by experiment that these 

 brilliantly coloured insects are generally dis- 

 tasteful to insect-eating birds and beasts, or 

 they may be provided with a natural weapon in 

 the form of a sting, which renders them harmful, 

 and dangerous to meddle with. Now, the safety 

 of this type of insect lies in being quickly 

 recognized as disagreeable or harmful, so they 

 have acquired these warning colours as a 

 protection; the vivid hues and conspicuous 

 markings act as danger signals to their natural 

 enemies, who pass them by when on the look out 

 for a meal. 



Warning coloration is particularly noticeable 

 in many species of larvae. The conspicuous, 

 gaudy Caterpillars in most cases possess un- 

 pleasant juices which make them distasteful to 



