Notes on the Enemies of Butterflies. 
By C, L.. CoLLENETTE. 
On 24th January, 1922 while collecting larvae and pupae of 
the common Skipper (Hidari irava) which can be found plenti- 
fully in Singapore in rolled up sections of the banana leaf, I 
noticed that three or four butterflies of the species were flying 
round the flowers of a neighbouring Papaya tree. After watch- 
ing them at close quarters for a minute or two, I espied one which 
appeared to have deformed wings, at rest. on a flower. Looking 
more closely, I found that it was in the clutches of a Praying 
Mantis, (Rhombodera basalis). ‘The Mantis held the butterfly in 
its fore legs and occasionally brought it ap to its mouth to suck 
the juices, “holding it away again while it considered them. After 
watching this for a few minutes I took the Skipper away, the 
Mantis holding on until it was nearly pulled from the tree and with 
no apparent fear of my fingers. 
The Mantis was stationed on a small bunch of the Papaya 
flower buds, with an open flower half an inch in front of its doubled 
fore legs. Skippers were flying from flower to flower, and I waited 
in the hope that one would fly within its reach: A foolish indivi- 
dual finally blundered right on to its back and then settled on the 
very flower which it euarded. The Mantis flinched a little at the 
touch, drew its front legs close to its body and then made what I 
considered a rather clumsy grab at the insect. The Skipper flew 
away none the worse. 
Other Skippers visited flowers three or four mches away, being 
followed by the Mantis with a turn of the head. 
Then, as dusk came on, a Hawk Moth with pink in its wings, 
probably Hippotion boerhaviae, paused in space opposite the special 
flower, but apparently saw the preliminary inward swing of the 
Mantis’ fore legs, and darted off. 
Shortly afterwards, the same Hawk Moth, or another of the 
same species, hovered in front of the flower and put its proboscis 
down the long tube. The Mantis made the same grab as before, 
but again missed its quarry. Darkness and mosquitoes prevented 
further observations. 
Another Mantis had been sitting all this time on the tnder- 
side of a leaf, but beyond turning its head when a butterfly passed, 
with the very smallest chance of being able to make a capture, it 
did not move. 
Jour. Straits branch RK. A. Soc., No. 86 1922. 
