TRUE MIMICRY 103 



Most interesting in this respect is, perhaps, the Asiatic- African 

 genus Elymnias, a Satyricl whose numerous (over thirty) species all 

 seem to be in need of protection, for many of them mimic immune 

 butterflies, while the rest are inconspicuous and are provided with 

 protective colouring on the under surface. On Plates II and III 

 some of the former are depicted beside their models. The single 

 African species {Elymnias phegea) (PI. II, Fig. 20) mimics, as has 

 been already mentioned, the prevalent Acrcea gea (PL II, Fig. 21). 

 Many of the Asiatic Elymniidse are mimics of the immune EuploeaB, 

 especially the dark-brown species with steel-blue shimmer, such as 

 E. patna in India, E. beza in Borneo, and E. penanga in Borneo. In 

 Amboina there flies an E. vitellia, the female of which mimics 

 accurately the plain, light-brown, inconspicuous Euphea climena 

 which occurs there. The male of Elymnias leucocyma (PI. Ill, 

 Fig. 26) resembles the brown and blue shimmering Euplcea binotata 

 (PI. Ill, Fig. 25), while the female mimics the dusky, radially-striped 

 female of Euploea midamus (PI. Ill, Figs. 27 and 28): the male of 

 Elymnias cassip>hone resembles the blackish-brown and deep-blue 

 iridescent Euploea Claudia, while the female is like the female of 

 Euploea midamus. A number of species of Elymnias copy Danaids : 

 thus both sexes of E. lais are like Danals vulgaris (PI. Ill, Figs. 29 

 and 30), and E. ceryx and E. timandra are like another similar 

 Danaid, D. tytia. The female only of E. undulavis of Ceylon 

 mimics the brown-yellow D. genutia (PI. II, Fig. 22) in general 

 appearance, though not minutely, while the male (PI. II, Fig. 24) 

 seems to attempt an imitation of the blue Euplcese. A rare form, 

 not often represented in collections, Elymnias hunstleri, bears a 

 striking resemblance to the Danaid, Ideopsis daos Boisd., with its 

 white wings spotted with black, while three species mimic the 

 probably immune Pierid genus Delias, especially on the under 

 surface, which is decorated with yellow and red. Perhaps the one 

 which has diverged farthest from the original type is Elymnias 

 agendas Boisd. (PL II, Fig. 32) of the Papua region and the island of 

 Waigeu, for it bears two large blue eye-spots on the posterior wings, 

 and thus, especially in the case of the almost white female, closely 

 resembles Tenaris bioculatus (PL III, Fig. 31). There are thus seven 

 or eight types of marking and colouring differing from one another, 

 and belonging to six different genera and a much greater number of 

 species, which are mimicked by this one genus Elymnias. 



It is most interesting to note how these mimetic species give 

 up, more or less, the original sympathetic colouring of the under 

 surface, and use in establishing their mimicry the marking elements 

 I. H 



