ON MIMTCKT IN THE GENUS HYPOLIMNAS. 339 



On Mimicry in Butterflies of the Genus Hypolimnas. 

 By Colonel Chakles Swinhoe, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



[Read 7th November, 1895.] 



(Plates XV.-XVII.) 



After studying and thinking over the general theory of Pro- 

 tective Mimicry as described in the works of Bates *, Wallace f, 

 Trimen J, Fritz Miiller §, Meldola i|, Poulton ^, and others, it 

 occurred to me that the subject would be advanced by the special 

 study of a small group of wide-spread mimetic species throughout 

 the different countries included in its range. 



The Bollna group of the nymphalid genus Hypolimnas or 

 Diadema contains, according to systematists, a number of species. 

 When, however, we look at the group from a biological point of 

 view, we find that all tliese can be merged in two distinct species 

 — Hypolimnas misippus (Linn.) and Hypolimnas lolina (Linn.). 

 These I selected for my purpose. 



It is first of all necessary to gain a conception of the appear- 

 ance presented by these species before the mimetic form was 

 assumed. This we find to be still retained by the male of 

 H. misippus, which is invariably non-mimetic, and that of 

 H. holina, whicb is non-mimetic in India and in certain other 

 localities which will be mentioned further on. Occasionally 

 the females also revert to the ancestral pattern and resemble 

 the black males. The non-mimetic males are very similar in 

 appearance, while their mimetic females differ widely. A com- 

 parison shows that the male of H misippus is smaller than 

 H. lolina, and that the large whitish spot on the upperside 

 of each wing is larger, rounder, and bears very little trace of 

 the blue colour which is so conspicuous in H. holina ; while the 

 underside has a reddish hue not present in the latter. On 

 the wing, the male of H. misippus is a far more active insect ; it 

 is a most pugnacious butterfly, perching on the tops of bushes 

 and darting forward to attack any other butterfly that may fly 

 past ; but I have found that when crippled and put at liberty 



* Trans. Linn. Soc. xxiii. p. 495. 



t Ibid. XXV. p. 19. J Ibid. xxvi. p. 497. 



-§ Proc. Ent. Soc. Lpnd. 1879, p. 20. 

 II Ann. & Mag. Nat.' Hist., Dec. 1882. 

 ^ Proc. Zool. Soc, March 1887. 

 LINN. JOTJRN. ZOOLOGY, VOL. XXT. 29 



