} 



MR. TRIMEN ON MIMETIC ANALOGIES AMONG AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 51* > 



be distinguishable both from that Acrtea and from A. Zetes. I have been doubtful 

 whether the Papilio better mimicked Zetes or Egina, but, on close comparison, heliev. 

 the latter to be the special object of imitation, in consequence of the red discal band in 

 the fore wings of Ridleyanus evidently copying the corresponding rufous space presented 

 by Egina — though the red spots in the border of the hind wings resemble those of Zetes, 

 and of A. Perenna, Doubl., a native of Ashanti*. The female P. BtiUeganm resembles 

 the female Egina, not only in its coloration being much duller than that of the male, 

 but (as in the case of Panopea Boisduvalii and Acrcsa Zetes) in the blunter, more 



rounded outline of the fore wings f • 



The palpi of the Papilio are yellow, like those of the Acrcea ; and the hinder port ion 

 of the abdomen of the male is almost wholly yellowish beneath, and marked laterally 

 with spots of the same colour, increasing in size to the extremity, so as to a]) proximate 

 to the colouring of the same part in the male Egina, while the paler and more distinct 

 spots on the distended abdomen of the female present a nearer resemblance to the mark- 

 ings of the female Egina. 



I have now passed under review the most remarkable instances, eleven in number, ol 

 mimetic analogies known to occur among the butterflies of Africa J. It has been shown, 

 (1°) that the mimicking butterflies invariably occur in districts inhabited by the specie- 

 mimicked, and in six cases (of southern species or varieties) are found in the very same 

 localities; (2°) that, in eight cases, the mimickers are known to be very much scarcer 

 than the species which they copy; (3°) that, in five cases, where the Da^oisov Acrcea 

 presents local forms, or merely slight varieties, even these are imitated by individuals of 

 the mimicking species ; (4°) that, in three cases, where the sexes of the insect mimicked 

 differ remarkably from each other, the sexes of the mimicker present corresponding dii 

 ferences ; and (5°) that, in four cases observed by me in nature, it was next to impossil.i 

 to distinguish the living mimicker from the species which it imitated. 

 oi Danais Echeria, I have demonstrated how, in addition to a Mad ema, no loss than 

 three species of Panllio copy that butterfly, the two closer mimickers m Pajnho being 

 females of whollv dissimilar males, and belonging, in fact, to different sections oi the 

 genus! In the very remarkable case of the polymorphic Papilio Merope, it has been 

 my endeavour to point out how three of the four forms of female in Afnea are protected 



but it is a considerably smaller 



In 



* 



insect 



wings 



remarkably narrow and elongated 



-4- Zetes. 



2 



resembles some female examples of 



almost ( -in 



t The vastness of the African regions that have never heen entomology exp ^ ^ ^ ^ 



*at many other equally striking eases of mimiery remain to be discovered. Mo P 1 _ . 



**» "as yet been searched by a competent lepidopterisf-the collects tansm. d to Euro, ^ ^ 

 J-* and other parte having been formed by persons who eoEected at random, -th 1 ttle, , ^ ^ ^^ ^ ^ 



localiti 

 Reform 



* or stations. Some idea of the Rhopalocerous riches 01 tne r^«« ? aftcr ^ ^ 



aed from an inspection of the third volume of Mr. Hewitsons < Exotic Butterflies, i~ _ 



fiUed **th figures of new species from Old Calabar, the fruit of the labours of a sin: 



hme and in a limited area, entomologizcd in that district. 



le collector, who, but for a short 



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