438 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 170. 



the numerous modifications of the female 

 of the Bolina type, and the absolutely con- 

 stant imitation of Danais chrysippus alone by 

 the 9 H. misippus is well brought out, and 

 the different courses thus pursued by the 

 respective females are shown to depend on 

 the range, variation and abundance of the 

 model that is mimicked. Colonel Swinhoe 

 had previously (1887) published a good ac- 

 count of mimicry in Indian butterflies,* 

 and in it made special reference to the re- 

 markable series of close likenesses between 

 species belonging to different subgenera of 

 the great protected genus Euplaa. 



So much promiuence has naturally been 

 given to the very conspicuous development 

 of mimicry among the Lepidoptera that it 

 is not uncommon to hear the matter spoken 

 of as if limited to butterflies and moths, 

 and even entomologists need to be reminded 

 of the prevalence of the phenomenon among 

 other orders of insects. The stinging Hy- 

 menoptera furnish the most numerous mod- 

 els to members of other orders, being closely 

 mimicked by numerous Diptera, by many 

 heterocerous Lepidoptera, by various Cara- 

 bid, Heteromerous and Longicorn Coleop- 

 tera, and by some Hemiptera ; while cer- 

 tain ants are well imitated by spiders. As 

 regards Coleoptera mimicry is mainly found 

 within the limits of the order itself — e. g., 

 Cicindelids by Heteromera and Longicorns, 

 Carabids by Heteromera, Malacoderms 

 by Longicorns, and Ehynchophora by 

 Longicorns; but certain Cicindelid and 

 Khynchophorous beetles are closely copied 

 by Orthoptera, belonging respectively to 

 the genera Condylodeira and Scepastus. 

 Lepidoptera do not seem to find mim- 

 ickers beyond their own order, unless 

 the case quoted by Haasef from 



* Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, II., pp. 169-174. 



t Op. cit., II., p. 10. Haase (on p. 11) cites Brauer 



to the effect that the genus Drepana is mimicked by 



the neuropterous Drepanopteri/x, which is stated to 



eed on Lepidoptera. 



E. Hartert, of the resemblance of a large' 

 Cicada to the Indian Thaumantis aliris 

 (Morphinse) be one of actual mimicry. 

 !N"or do Diptera appear to be models for im- 

 itation, except in the case of the hunting 

 spiders, which mimick the Muscidse they 

 chase ; although the neuropterous Bittacus 

 certainly bears a strong likeness to Tipula, 

 and may possibly find the advantage of that 

 harmless aspect in approaching its prey. 

 It cannot be denied that some of the inter- 

 ordinal mimicries are even more impressive 

 and striking than those so notable among 

 butterflies, the excellence of the superficial 

 disguise of general outline, proportion of 

 parts, coloring and markings being so great 

 as to throw into obscurity the really vast 

 structural discrepancies. Such cases as the 

 imitation of the South American wasps of 

 the genera Polybia and Syneeca by moths of 

 the genera Sphecosoma and Myrmecopsis,'* of 

 the Bornean sand-wasp Mxjgnimia avieulus, 

 by the beetle ColoborrJiombus fasdatipennis,f 

 or of the Philippine tiger-beetle Tricondyla 

 by the cricket Condylodeira, % are absolute 

 marvels of deception, all belonging to that 

 special phase of mimicry where the obvious 

 advantage to the unarmed mimic lies in 

 being mistaken for the armed and formi- 

 dable model. 



As the Lepidoptera are at present the on- 

 ly order in which a very considerable num- 

 ber of mimetic relations have been observed, 

 it may be of service to note here the vari- 

 ous directions in which mimicry ramifies 

 within the ordinal limits. The very large 

 majority consists of cases where (a) Ehopa- 

 locera are copied by other Rhopalocera; 

 and, taking the groups in succession, we 

 find that (1) Danainse (including Neotro- 



*See Haase, I. c, II., p. 76, PI. XIII. 



fSee Pryer, Trans. Ent. Soc, 1885, p. 369, PI. X., 

 ■vvho in the same place also figures another most strik- 

 ing case from Borneo, in which the hymenopterous 

 Triscolia patricialis is mimicked by the lepidopterous 

 Scoliomima insignis. 



X See Bates, I. c, p. 509. 



