WEST INDIAN MELOIDAE — SELANDER AND BOUSEMAN 217 



above, this specimen is quite similar to P. marginata in structural char- 

 acters and agrees in color with immaculate specimens of the latter. 

 We are therefore convinced that a closer relationship exists between 

 P. marginata and P. megalops than between P. marginata and any- 

 other species of the genus. 



The extensive synonymy of P. marginata is largely attributable to 

 the fact that the elytra vary from a distinctly striped condition to an 

 immaculate one. While this variation is essentially continuous, as a 

 matter of convenience we have recognized five color classes. These 

 are shown in figure 4, and their frequency distribution in the various 

 samples is given in table 4. The absence of class at localities between 

 the Bahamas and Grenada is perhaps noteworthy. However, an 

 analysis of the data now available indicates that the level of signifi- 

 cance of the variation is slightly above the one percent level. 



The ratio of the distance separating the eyes on the front of the 

 head to the distance separating them beneath is unusually variable, 

 without evident geographic or sexual correlation. The shape of the 

 pronotum varies slightly, again on an individual basis. 



We were unable to locate the types of E. annulicornis and L. 

 delauneyi. The type of P. marginata is in the Hunterian Collection 

 at Glasgow University, and the type of Z. strigata (=Z. lineata) is in 

 the British Museum (Natural History). The type of Z. guanicana 

 is neither in the collections in Puerto Rico nor in the U.S. National 

 Museum; presumably it was destroyed. The male paratype of 

 Z. strigata {=Z. lineata) that we examined was compared with the 

 type of P. marginata by K. G. Blair. 



Table 4. — Frequency distribution of color classes in samples of Pseudozonitis 



marginata. 



» Type of Z. guanicana (not examined) included, 

 b Type of E. annulicornis (not examined) included. 

 Type of L. delauneyi (not examined). 



d Type series of Z. strigata (specimens in classes 2, 3, and 4 not examined); specimen in class 3 question- 

 ably assigned from Champion's description and not included in analysis of variance. 



