140 Timehri. 



In the above examples inconspicuousness, if not complete to a large 

 extent, is the aim in most cases. The majority of insects that one sees 

 moving about or resting, however, are usually rather conspicuous objects, 

 and it would seem that they could easily be destroyed ; yet the mere fact 

 of their being so numerous shows that this is not the case, and we must 

 therefore conclude that there is some reason for such conspicuousness. 

 As a matter of fact we find that such brightly coloured insects are either 

 able to escape their enemies by their speed, or, what is more usual, they 

 possess some offensive quality. It is advantageous for such forms to be 

 conspicuous as they are easily recognised and left alone. It is also 

 advantageous that their colours should be few and their patterns simple, 

 for their enemies have fewer combinations to learn to avoid, and both 

 sides are saved unpleasant experiences. 



The combinations of colour used in this way are usually black and 

 yellow, black and white, black and green, and black and red or orange, 

 or they may be of three of these colours ; the patterns are broad bands of 

 alternating colours or extensive blotches. Black alone is often used, and 

 is conspicuous both against green foliage and the sky. 



We have numerous good examples of this group in the colony. The 

 common ' Hairy Worm ', the larva of Megalopyge lanata Cram. (fig. 2), 

 is well known for the irritating properties of its hairs, and with its 

 pattern of broad bands of black and white is a most conspicuous object. 



At certain times the large larvae of the Frangipanni Sphinx, 

 Pseudosphinx tetrio L. can be seen on almost every frangipanni tree. 

 They are most conspicuous objects being black with bands of green and 

 their head and tail ends red ; yet they apparently remain untouched by 

 birds and other enemies. There is little doubt that it is this same con- 

 spicuous colouring, probably associated with a disagreeable taste, that 

 produces such immunity. 



A famous example which occurs in the colony is the Monarch butter- 

 fly Anosia plexippus L. The perfect form of this insect is veiy con- 

 spicuous being marked in brown and black, and is one of our commonest 

 butterflies on the coastlands. This insect is well known to be distasteful 

 to birds, and its conspicuous colouring associated with the distasteful 

 character, is easily remembered by them and it thus escapes further 

 attacks. Other butterflies have taken advantage of the immunity 

 possessed by this insect and by imitating its colour escape attack. Such 

 imitation will be dealt with in later paragraphs under the head of mimicry. 



Among the other insects, marabuntas or wasps, bugs and beetles 

 afford numerous examples of warning coloration associated with stings, 

 disagreeable tastes and odours. 



Mimicry. — It is indeed a very short step from warning coloration 

 to the very highest form of camouflage in the insect world, which is 



