ni] OLD-WORLD MIMICS 27 



Though the Pharmacophagus Papihos are mimicked 

 only by other Papihos among butterflies they may 

 serve occasionally as models for certain of the larger 

 day-flying moths. Papilio polyxenus, for example, is 

 mimicked not only by the unprotected P. bootes but also 

 by the moth Epicopeia polydora (PL III, figs. 5 and 6). 

 Like the butterfly the Epicopeia, which is compara- 

 tively rare, has the white patch and the outer border 

 of red marginal spots on the hind wing. Though it 

 is apparently unable to provide itself with an orthodox 

 tail it nevertheless naakes a creditable attempt at one. 

 There are several other cases of mimetic resemblance 

 between day-flying moths and Pharmacophagus swal- 

 low-tails — ^the latter in each case serving as the model. 

 Rarely it may happen that the role of butterfly and 

 moth is reversed, and the butterfly becomes the mimic. 

 A very remarkable instance of this is found in New 

 Guinea where the rare Papilio laglaizei mimics the 

 common day-flying moth Alcidis agaihyrsus. Viewed 

 from above the resemblance is sufficiently striking 

 (PL III, figs. 1 and 2), but the most wonderful feature 

 concerns the imderneath. The ventral half of the 

 moth's abdomen is coloured brilliant orange. When 

 the wings are folded back they cover and hide from 

 sight only the dorsal part of the abdomen, so that in 

 this position the orange neutral surface is conspicuous. 

 When, however, the wings of the butterfly are folded 

 they conceal the whole of the abdomen. But the 

 butterfly has developed on each hind wing itself a 

 bright orange patch in such a position that when the 



