Zoology. “The colour-markings on the body of Lepidoptera, compared 
to those of their larvae and pupae, and to those of their 
wings’. By Prof. J. F. van BEMMELEN. 
(Communicated at the meeting of January 31, 1920). 
In former communications I have expressed my conviction, that 
originally an intimate connection must have existed between the 
colonr-markings of caterpillar, pupa and butterfly of the same species, 
all three being only varieties of one and the same archaic form. 
Consequently the few cases, in which this connection is evident at 
first sight, should not be considered as mere casualities, but as 
resulting from the preservation of the primitive condition. SCHIERBEEK, 
who chiefly studied the setal pattern of the youngest instars of cater- 
pillars, but also gave his attention to the colour-markings of a few 
older caterpillars, and to pupae, has fully corroborated my views. 
De Meyere on the contrary, in his paper: Zur Zeichnung des Insecten- 
im besonderen des Dipteren- und Lepidopterenflügels, 1916, has 
expressed his doubts about them, where he says on p. 181: “In 
my opinion the striking difference between the pupal- and the 
imaginal markings precisely shows that they have had an inde- 
pendent origin, and have followed different ways: — just as we 
found it in nearly related Diptera, we here see it in different stages 
of the same animal”. 
And further on: 
“According to my view the colour-markings of the pupa of 
diurnal Lepidoptera are as much of recent origin as their frequently 
grotesque shape and their very varying mode of fixation. The same 
might apply to pupal markings in comparison to those of caterpillars”. 
In his second paper: Zur Evolution der Zeichnung bei den holo- 
metabolen Insecten, he writes on p. 70: 
“IT consider the striking colour-markings of many butterfly-pupae 
as a secondary feature in these organisms, exposed to light as they 
are. In a similar manner the pupa of Abraxas grossulariata, which 
settles unhidden in shrubs, shows special coloration. VAN BEMMELEN’s 
assertion, that this Geometrid should show a primitive coloration in 
all instars, does not seem right to me, at least in regard to the 
pupa... . The pupa of Abr. sylvata, which hibernates in the earth, 
is quite dark; without doubt in this case, the older condition. The 
real primitive condition I believe to occur in the light-brown 
24 
Proceedings Royal Acad. Amsterdam. Vol. XXIII. 
