MICROLEPIDOPTERA OF NEW GUINEA 
185 
so different patterns strengthens us in our surmise that in this case we 
have to do with a phenomenon of mimicry, the patterns of Chresmarcha 
being a secondary imitation of the primary patterns of Chiorwthremma, 
and Damias, respectively. 
Another, not less striking example of white and black colouring of a 
similar pattern represents Meridarchis pseudomantis, a single species out 
of 22 known to occur in the Papuan region, resembling the above mentioned 
Tortricidae — except for the narrower wings, characteristic of the entire 
family Carposinidae, to which this species belongs — and entirely different 
from all other Meridarchis species known. 
Unfortunately the enormous collection of Macroheterocera of the 
Expedition is not studied yet and we are not able to provide the names 
of several other examples of white and black pattern from that group ; we 
mi ght, mention two of them. 
A small Arctiid of a quite deceiving Tortricoid facies is another myste- 
rious double of Chionothremma. When arranging the genera and species 
of the collection preliminary to study, we promptly put the unique 
specimen of this species in the Chionothremma lot, till closer observation 
revealed its true nature. 
A Lithosiid of quite similar white and black markings was somewhat 
less puzzling on account of its typical facies characteristic of that 
family. 
Undoubtedly many other examples could be found in other collections 
of small Heterocera from New Guinea or will be discovered in future. 
The problem which intrigues us but which we are unable to solve is: 
what nature must be ascribed to this phenomenon? We shall indicate 
three hypothetical possibilities. 
1. The phenomenon is a case of mimicry, viz., imitation of colour 
and markings of common forms (viz., different species of Chionothremma) 
by single representatives of distant families and genera which in this 
way become entirely dissimilar to their congeners, in some connection 
with their biology. 
2. The phenomenon may be due to a common influence or “creative 
agent” typical of New Guinea, through which white and black markings 
originate polyphyletically in different families and genera, independent 
of the biology of the insects in question. Apparently this is what Meyrick 
thought. 
3. The white and black pattern might be some consequence of the 
change of nocturnal life habits of small New Guinean Heterocera to 
diurnal, with which we intend to say that also in this case a common 
cause may be at play but that this cause would be of an entirely different 
nature than the agent alluded to in paragraph 2. 
Our generation might be less disposed to teleological deductions than 
was that of Meyrick. His elegant explanation of the phenomenon in 
question, cited above, will probably appear too simplistic for the present 
