48 THE entomologist's record. 



appears to have a wide distribution. ()nf/i<ij)liai/iis fracticornis and Srrira 

 hi itnnea occurred sparingly, whilst the very local Ithizotroiiinf sohtitialu 

 was abundant in July, much to the delight of the poultry, which fed upon 

 them in numbers ! Amongst the Serricornia were two of the beautiful 

 ThanoiiiniKu fi>niurariits taken on different occasions crawling on a 

 garden path in June. Ncrrohia rxJipcH and riolacco, Melasowa popidi, 

 ClnniKomda Inipcrici, and I'si/UiixJcii jn'rhia were also represented, whilst 

 the feAV weevils sent included lUnnonrvs castor, Sihiuia potrntillae, and 

 Gronops Imuttiii^. — E. J. Burgess-Sopp, F.E.S., Saxholme, Hoylake. 



<g)RTHOPTERA. 



Mimicry in Orthoptera. 



By MALCOLM BURR, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



Very little is known of mimicry in Orthoptera, there being practi- 

 cally no data or observations on the living insects upon which to base 

 generalisations. The species in which mimicry may occur are only 

 known as dried cabinet specimens, so care must be taken to distinguish 

 mere accidental resemblance or analogy from true cases of mimicry. 



In the Forjicidaria we have the tiny earwig, Labia minor, L., which 

 bears so striking a resemblance, in appearance and habits, to some 

 Staphiilinidac, that Linnaeus, and certain early authors, included them in 

 the Coleoptera. It is frequently taken on June evenings, flying over 

 flower beds and dung heaps in company with Brachelytrous beetles, 

 but it is difficult to say whether the earwig gains any advantage from 

 this association, any more than the rove-beetles may be favoured, and 

 without indejiendent or mutual advantage, the essential character of 

 mimicry is lacking. Observations bearing on this point would be full 

 of interest. Labia is a heterogeneous group, containing about 40 

 species, distributed all over the world, nearly all very small in size, 

 and bearing the same general resemblance to Stajihi/linidaf. 



In the Illattodfa we have also a few instances. Certain immature 

 specimens, and wingless forms, especially the smaller species of Pcri- 

 Kpliafridar, showed a marked superficial resemblance to certain Isopnda. 

 This is well shown in ^Prunner's figure of Pscndoiilomcriii fornicata 5 

 (repi'oduced by Dr. Sharp in tlie " Cambridge Natural History"), which 

 resembles the (ihmcridac, small Myriapods. According to Brunner, 

 the v.'ingless Ikmcalipnma roll themselves into a ball like wood-lice, 

 and their habits are more or less similar. The common south 

 European Lohojitcra tlt'rijdms is also very like a wood-louse. Sharp 

 has noticed that certain small species, notably of the genus Llolo- 

 nniijisa, have the appearance of ('ajtsidar, and such brightly-coloured 

 cockroaches as Hupnorna ainaena, Sauss., Con/dia jictircriana, and 

 Pliora.sjds, Serv., might be mistaken for beetles. From the above 

 remarks it will be seen that we can only note the resemblances of dried 

 specimens, and are totally without necessary observations of their 

 bionomics. 



The Ma)ito(lra and I'/iasuiodra are so strikingly modified by adapta- 

 tion to their surroundings, the former for aggressive, the latter for 

 protective, purposes, that we should be justified in expecting to find 

 good cases of ]\Iimicry among them. But our search brings dis- 



