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PDF - Wallace Online

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in PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCES AMONG ANIMALS 65that we have scarcely any observations of the habits andappearance when alive of the hundreds of species of thesegroups in various parts of the world, or how far they areaccompanied by Hymenoptera, which they specifically resemble.There are many species in India (like those figuredby Professor Westwood in his Oriental Entomology) whichhave the hind legs very broad and densely hairy, so asexactly to imitate the brush-legged bees (Scopulipedes) whichabound in the same country. In this case we have morethan mere resemblance of colour, for that which is an importantfunctional structure in the one groupis imitated inanother whose habits render it perfectly useless.Mimicry among BeetlesIt may fairly be expected that if these imitations of onecreature by another really serve as a protection to weak anddecaying species, instances of the same kind will be foundamong other groups than the Lepidoptera; and such is the case,although they are seldom so prominent and so easily recognisedas those already pointed out as occurring in that order. A fewvery interesting examples may, however, be pointed out in mostof the other orders of insects. The Coleoptera or beetles thatimitate other Coleoptera of distinct groups are very numerous intropical countries, and they generally follow the laws alreadylaid down as regulating these phenomena. The insects whichothers imitate always have a special protection, which leadsthem to be avoided as dangerous or uneatable by smallinsectivorous animals ;some have a disgusting taste (analogousto that of the Heliconidse) ;others have such a hard andstony covering that they cannot be crushed or digested;while a third set are very active, and armed with powerfuljaws, as well as having some disagreeable secretion. Somespecies of Eumorphidse and Hispidse, small flat or hemisphericalbeetles which are exceedingly abundant, and have a disagreeablesecretion, are imitated by others of the verydistinct group of Longicornes (of which our common muskbeetlemay be taken as an example). The extraordinarylittle Cyclopeplus batesii belongs to the same sub-family ofthis group as the Onychocerus scorpio and O. concentricus,which have already been adduced as imitating with suchF

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