The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-22


doptera initiating other insects of the same
order, and such species only as we have good
reason TO believe were free from the attacks of
many inseotivorOus creatures; but there are
other instances in which they altogether lose
the external appearance of the order TO which
they belong, and take on the dress of bees or
wasps-insects which have an undeniable pro-
lection in their stings.
The Sesiide and Egeriid@, two families of
day-hing moths, are particularly rem lrkable
in this respect, and mere inspection of the
names given to the various species shows how
the resemblance has struck every one. We
have apiformis vesipiforme, ichneumoni-
forme, scolieforme, sphegiforme (bee-ike,
wasp-like, ichneumon-like, etc.,, and many
others, all indicating resemblance to sting
ing Hymenoptera. In Britain, we may par
ticularly notice Sesia bombliformis, which
very closely resembles the male of the
large and common humble-bee, Bombus
hortorum Sphecia orabOniforme, which is
colored like a hornet, and is Con the au-
thority of Mr.. Jenner Weir) much more
like it when alive than when in the
cabinet, from the way in which it carries
its wings: and the little currant ceaT-wing
Trochilium tpuliform resembles small black
wasp (Odynerus sinuatus) very abundant in
gardens at the same season. 1t has been so
much the practice to look upon these resem-
blances as mere curious analogies, playing no
scarcely any observations of the habits and
appearance when alive of the hundreds of
species of these groups in various parts OF the
world, or how far they are accompanied by
Hymenoptera, which they specifically resemble.
There are many species in India (like those
figured by Professor Westwood in his ''Ori-
entail Entomology, which have the hind legs
very broad and densely hairy, so as exactly to
initiate the brushlegged bees (ScopuGpedes)
Hubi oh md in bp
case we have more than mere resemblance of
color, for that which is an important func-
tional structure in the one group is initiated
in another whose habits render it perfectly
useless. .
1t may fairly be expected that if these
limitations of one creature by another really
serve as a protection to weak and decaying
species, instances of the same kind will be
found among other groups than the Lepidop
terra; and such is the case, although they
are seldom so prominent or so easily recog-
nized as those already pointed out as occur
ring in that order. A few interesting eX-
amples may, however, be pointed out in
most of the other orders of insects. The
Coleoptera or beetles that initiate other
Coleoptera of distinct groups are very hume
rous in tropical countries, and they gene
rally follow the laws already laid down
as regulating these phenomena. The in
sects which others initiate always have
special protection, which leads them
to be avoided as dangerous or
uneatable by small insectivorous animals;
some have a disgusting taste (analogous to
that of the HelicOnid@); others have such
a hard and stony covering that they cannot
be crushed or digested; while a third set
are very active, and armed with powerful
jaws, as well as having some disagreeable
secretion. Some species of Eumorphide and
Hispide, small flat or hemispherical BEETLES
which are exceedingly abundant and have
a disagreeable secretion, are initiated by
others of the very distinct group of Longi-
cornes (of which our common musk-beetle
may be taken as an example). The extra
ordinary little Cyclopeplus batesii belongs
to the same sub-family of this group as
the Onychocerus scOrpio and o. concen-
tricus, which have already been adduced as
initiating with such wonderful accuracy the
bark of the trees they habtually frequent;
but it differs totally in outward appearance
from every one of its allies, having taken upon
itself the exact shape and coloring of a globu-
lar COrynomalus, little Sinking beetle with
dubbed antenn@. 1t is curious to see how
these dubbed antenn@ are initiated by an in
sect belonging to a group with long slender
antenn8. The sub-tamily Ansocerine, to
which CyclOpeplus belongs, is characterized
by all its members possessing a little knob or
dilatatiOn about the middle of the antenna.
This knob is considerably enlarged in q.
batesii, and the terminal portion of the an
tenn@ beyond it is so small and slender as to
be scarcely visible, and thus an excellent sub
stitute is obtained for the short dubbed
antenn9 of the Corynomalus. Erythro-
platis coralliter is another curious broad
fiat beetle, that no one would take
for Longieorn, since it almost exactly
resembles Cephalodonta spinipes one
of the commonest of the South American
Hispida; and what is still more remarkable,
another Longicorn of distinct group, Strep-
tolabis hispoides, was found by Mr.. bates,
which resembles the same insect with equal
minuteness-a case exactly paralleled TO that
among butterflies, where species OF TWO OF
three distinct groups mimicked the same nell-
coma. Many of the soft-winged beetles (Nlaia-
codermes) are excessively abundant IN inul-
viduals, and it is probable that they nave
some similar protection, more esPecaiiy III
other species often strikingly resemble li tlent'
Longicorn beetle, PecilOderma terni- nI-
male, found in Jamaica, is colored eAaoNly
in the same way as Lycus SOIo
of the Malacodermes) from the same lsianu' anu
Erosohema poweri, LonglcoIn Co.
Australia, might certainly be TAKEN III
one of the same group, ana S9Yoi"l
species from the Malay Islands are equaly % uo
ceptive. In the Island of Celebes IS iounu s olis
of this group, having the wnGi9 03 PIa' 3Ta had
elytra of a rich deep blue color, with tne t heau
onlv orange: and in company with 1t an insect
of totally different family (Eucnemide), }, WIN
identically the same colorahon, ana oI DO
nearly the same size and form as W SL
pletely puzzle the collector on every NosH
occasion of capturing them. -, -,
There ara a number Of the larger Iropt