T2 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



in the tropics of the Old World, but a few species inhabit 

 America. The only species which is indigenous to Europe is 

 Limnas chrysippus (Linn.). It is common throughout Africa 

 and the East Indies, and its range extends to Greece. Besides 

 this, however, the North American Anosia menippe (Hiibner),* 

 one of the largest species of the group, and an extremely 

 abundant insect, which migrates north to Canada, has lately 

 spread over the whole of the Pacific Islands, and has probably 

 now reached the mainland of Asia. When once firmly estab- 

 lished on the Asiatic continent, its extension throughout the 

 warmer parts of Asia and Europe and the whole of Africa can 

 only be a question of a comparatively short time. Not only so, 

 but many specimens have already been taken in England, and 

 it is now regarded as almost naturalised, though it is still doubt- 

 ful whether it will find sufficient appropriate food to enable it to 

 establish itself permanently with us. Its larva feeds on various 

 species of Aristolochia, called "Milk-weeds" in the United 

 States, and most of the known larvae of the Danaince feed on 

 Asdepias and allied plants. 



Habits. As already noticed, Anosia menippe is an insect of 

 powerful flight and migratory habits, but many Danaina have 

 a lazy flapping flight, and are very restricted in their range, the 

 species found in adjacent islands being often different from 

 each other. 



NOTE. The Danainiz are remarkable for being a highly-protected group 

 of Butterflies. They have a peculiar odour, dependent, it is believed, on 

 the anal tufts of hair, which render them distasteful to birds ; and it has 

 even been asserted that mites will not touch them in collections. Their in- 

 teguments, too, are very tough, and hence, even if attacked by birds, they 

 might easily escape fatal injury. They exhibit the phenomenon known as 

 "mimicry" to perfection ; that is to say, various other Butterflies and Moths, 

 having no real affinity to them, resemble them so closely as to be frequently 



* Usually called Danaus plexippus or D. archippus ; but it is not the 

 true P. plexippus of Linnaeus, nor the true P. archippus of Crame* . 



