Note 76 — Chapter IX

Mammals. Apart from man it is clear that only such mammals as are of arboreal habits are likely to cause destruction among butterflies in the imago state. Apparently there are no records of any arboreal mammal, except monkeys, capturing butterflies in the wild state, nor is there much evidence available from feeding experiments. But such evidence as exists is of considerable interest. As the result of feeding butterflies of different sorts to an Indian Tree-shrew (Tupaia ferruginea) Finn[76] found that it shewed a strong dislike to Danaids and to Papilio aristolochiae though it took readily Papilio demoleus, Neptis kamarupa, and Catopsilia (a Pierine). It is fairly certain that if the Tree-shrew is an enemy of butterflies in the wild state it is a discriminating one.