Euploeines forming Mimetic Groups 21 



We may infer that the Taenaris has been a more recent addition 

 to the fauna, and that the development of a similar white coloration 

 among other butterflies has not proceeded so long on the Aru as on 

 the Key Islands. 



There is also the possibility that an older association has been 

 partly broken up by the attraction of some members to the new 

 model. We can recognize the Euploea climena, perhaps the Hyp'o- 

 limnas ? , and the white margins of Euploea confusa ? form as 

 possible survivors of an older association. The confusa form exhibits 

 an interesting combination of markings. The central white area of 

 the fore wing is perhaps an older development than the white margin, 

 as the tendency to a pale discal area is seen in ? ? from all parts of 

 the species' range. The white margin would appear to have resulted 

 from association with other white-margined butterflies. If this is so 

 it is strange that no allied form occurs on the Key Islands. We are 

 driven to the conclusion that this form' originated as a member of 

 an Aru association of which only the vestiges remain. 



Three other Taenaris are found on the Aru Islands, and two of 

 these are of interest, as they closely resemble one another. They are 

 to be distinguished, however, by several points and also by the genitalia. 

 T. artemis myopina Fruh. (pi. IIa, figs. 1, 2) is distinguished from 

 T. myops Voll. (pi. IIa, figs. 3, 4), by the absence of black androconia 

 on the inner margin of the hind wing. The dark 2 form of the 

 Elymnias closely resembles these Taenaris. 



The third Taenaris is dimona Hew., but we have nothing mimick- 

 ing it on the Aru Islands, where it appears to be very rare. On 

 New Guinea this species is mimicked by members of the Hyades group. 



C .— TENIMBER ISLANDS GROUP. (Plate IIb.) 



The dominant Euploea on Tenimber is eleutho sacerdos Butl. 

 (figs. 1, 2), and this formed 84"5 per cent, of all the Euploeas 

 collected. This species belongs to the group which bears one sexual 

 stripe on the fore wing. This stripe exhibits some variation in size 

 in some species, and there is a probability that some forms placed in 

 the group without sexual stripes may be forms of species which 

 possess these stripes. 



The next species in order of frequency is visenda Butl. (figs. 5, 6), 

 belonging to the Galliploea group, which formed 13'4 per cent, of the 

 whole. 



