KYMPHALIN.E. 289 



tliat tliey have deceived not only practised collectors, but experienced 

 entomologists, so tliat it was by no means uncommon until recently to 

 find even in public collections specimens of the models and of their 

 copies placed together, in the mistaken belief that they were represen- 

 tatives of one and the same species. There is thus no difficulty in 

 understanding how complete is the deception in the field, where the 

 habits and flight of the mimicking insects are more or less assimilated 

 to those of the protected species mimicked, which inhabit the same 

 districts, and very often haunt the same spots. 



Of the four known South-African species, Ps. Trimenii and Ps. 

 imitator respectively imitate the red black-spotted Acrcea Acara and 

 the black yellowish- or white-banded Planema Aganice, — the latter 

 affording an instance of remarkably exact imitation. The males of the 

 remaining two, Ps. Tarqwinia and Ps. Delagoce, present a much less 

 close resemblance to the same Planema ; while their females, singularly 

 enough, are modified in distinct relation, respectively, to the Danaine 

 Amauris Echeria and A. Ochlca. In range, Tarquinia seems farthest 

 distributed, occurring at Natal, on the Zambesi, and in Usambara ; 

 Trimenii inhabits Natal, Delagoa Bay, and Zambesia ; Imitator has 

 been found only in Natal ; and Delagoce inhabits the place after which 

 it is named. All appear to be rather scarce iu sects, but it is not 

 unlikely that they are less rare than they seem, — their disguise render- 

 ing them very apt to be passed over among the abundant Acrminaj. 



94. (1.) Pseudacraea Tarquinia, (Trimeu). 



^ Panopea Tarquinia, Trim., Trans. Eut. Soc. Lond., 1868, p. 79, pi. v. 

 f. 3. 



Exp. al., 2 in. 4^ lin. — 3 in, 



$ Brownish-black, vjith luJiite and yellowish-white bands. Eore- 

 iving : an outwardly arched band of four white spots, of which the first 

 (much smaller than the others) is in discoidal cell close to its extremity, 

 and the fourth (the largest) between first and second median nervules ; 

 two elongate yellowish-white spots, one on each side of submedian 

 nervure, forming an irregular patch on inner margin rather beyond 

 middle (of these the upper spot is sometimes very much reduced or 

 almost obsolete) ; between white band and apex two obliquely-lying 

 svibquadrate white spots, one on each side of first discoidal nervule ; a 

 fine linear edging of pure-white along costa from a little beyond 

 middle, ending at apex in a conspicuous white spot extending to the 

 cilia immediately adjoining. Hind-wing : crossing middle, a broad 

 yellowish- white band, beginning close to costa, opposite inner- marginal 

 patch of fore-wing ; of this band, the inner edge, not far from base, is 

 slightly irregular, — the outer edge regularly and sharply dentated by 

 inter-nervular black rays extending from hind-margin. In both ivings, 

 VOL. I, T 



