Note 42 — Chapter VII

In collections of insects from India or Ceylon it is not unusual to find specimens of the A form of female of polytes placed with P. aristolochiae, and the H form with P. hector. When the insects are old and faded and pinned out on cork the mistake is a very natural one. But after all the enemies of polytes do not hunt it in corked cabinets, and any estimation of resemblance to be of use to us must be based upon the living insects. Are the resemblances of the mimics to the models when alive so close that they might be expected to deceive such enemies[42] as prey upon them and have no difficulty in distinguishing the male form of polytes from P. aristolochiae or P. hector?