Euploeines forming Mimetic Groups 19 



Danais would, on the mimetic theory, have conferred some advantage 

 on this Cethosia, which possesses a white subapical band in all its 

 forms. On the Key Islands the Cethosia is rare, there being only 

 fourteen collected to eighty-seven of the Danais. 



Among the three Euploeines it is doubtful whether any one may 

 have served as a centre of convergence. Although hopfferi is the rarer 

 it possesses the least dyslegnic white marginal bands, but such bands 

 are developed from sharply-defined spots, as will be seen by comparing 

 other forms of Calliploea, and are themselves by no means sharply 

 denned. 



In assimilata the bands are less clearly defined than in the two 

 other species, and in both sexes the bands are equally dyslegnic. The 

 white bands are here the result of a suffusion of white scaling, this 

 tendency being exhibited by other forms of Salpinx. 



Taking eurypon as a possible centre of convergence, we find it only 

 slightly predominates in numbers over assimilata. The white bands of 

 eurypon are a little more clearly defined than in assimilata, the band 

 on the fore wing of the female being more defined than on the male 

 fore wing. Other forms of climena show a white band on the hind 

 wing and a certain development of the band on the fore wing. As in 

 assimilata the development of these bands is by a diffusion of white 

 scaling. 



It would appear, therefore, that neither species is by itself respon- 

 sible for the pattern of the others, and since all show a fairly close 

 approach to one another, the development has probably proceeded fairly 

 equally among all three, the ancestral tendency becoming intensified 

 through the factors present in insularity. 



The same may be said of the two Hypolimnas, the female of these 

 species often showing nearly as much white distal coloration in other 

 parts of their range. It will be noticed that the band on the fore wing 

 of the alimena form is as clearly defined as the band on the Calliploea, 

 but in both cases these bands are developed from sharply-defined spots. 

 The band on the hind wing of both the Hypolimnas is less clearly 

 defined and is developed by suffusion. 



There remains the possibility that Danais affinis vorkeinus Rob. 

 may have served as a centre. This species was sent to the number of 

 142 and may therefore be said to predominate over either Euploea and 

 to be about equal to the number of all the three white-banded 

 Euploeines flying at the same time. This Danais exhibits a remarkable 

 constancy of form and only differs from the typical Australian affinis 

 Fabr. in the larger size of the spot in cellule 3 of the subapical band. 



