DAN AID A. By Dr. C. Aurivillius. 
71 
3. Family: Danaididse. 
Of this family only the subfamily of the Danoidince is represented in the Ethiopian Region. This 
embraces only species of medium size, with broad wings and elongated abdomens. The forelegs are aborted 
in both sexes, without claws, in the cd with unjointed, in the ? with jointed tarsi. They are at once distin¬ 
guishable from the other families with similarly formed forelegs by the basally forked median vein of the 
forewing. The cell of both wings is always closed. The palpi are short and the claws simple. 
The cdcd are usually distinguished by retractile pencils at the end of the abdomen or by scale-spots 
on the upperside of the hindwing or forewing. 
The eggs are obtusely spindle-shaped, have many longitudinal ribs and also numerous transverse lines 
between the ribs. 
The larvae are cylindrical and have on the dorsum two or several pairs of long, filiform, fleshy appendages, 
The pupae are short, thick and obtuse with rounded head, and hang perpendicularly without girth. 
The Danaids may in general be regarded as poisonous insects and hence are not usually eaten by 
most vertebrates, and are not easily attacked by mites and other pests in collections. 
In the Ethiopian Region but few genera and species occur. With the exception of three, however, 
all the species are confined to this region. The genus Euploea, so conspicuous in the Indo-Malayan Region, 
occurs in the Ethiopian only on the Maskarenes and Seychelles, and is entirely absent on the continent of Africa. 
♦ Synopsis of the Genera. 
I. Vein 8 of the hindwing only separates from the upper median vein after or at the origin of the 
precostal vein and forms with the former a very narrow, but distinct basal cell. 
A. Vein 10 of the forewing arises from or behind the apex of the cell. The transverse vein of 
the cell of the forewing is so strongly incurved that vein 5 arises much nearer to the base than 
to vein 10. 1. Danaida Latr. 
B. Vein 10 of the forewing arises before the apex of the cell. The transverse vein of the cell of 
the forewing is only feebly iucurved, so that vein 5 arises not or but little nearer to the base 
than to vein 10. 
a. Vein 7 of the hindwing arises much nearer to 6 than to 8. 2. Amauris Hbn. 
b. Vein 7 of the hindwing arises almost midway between veins 6 and 8. 3. Amaurina Auriv. 
II. Vein 8 of the hindwing separates from the upper median vein rather far before the origin of the 
precostal vein and forms no basal cell. 4. Euploea F. 
1. Genus: Danaicia Latr. 
The club of the antenna is cylindrical and gradually narrows into the shaft. The palpi are short 
and scarcely project beyond the head. 
Members of this extensive genus occur in all parts of the world. The Ethiopian Region is, however, 
relatively poor in species. They may be divided into three groups according to the sexual characters of 
the cdcd and the markings. 
Chrysippus Group. 
The middle discocellular vein of the hindwing very strongly, almost rectangularly, incurved. The cd with small 
scale-pouch, scarcely standing out beneath, at vein 2 of the hindwing; the entrance to the pouch above surrounded by a 
large black spot. — Larva with three pairs of fleshy filaments on the dorsum, on segments 2, 5 and 11. — The wings in 
the Ethiopian species with brown-yellow to yellow-brown ground-colour and black, white-dotted marginal band. 
D. chrysippus is widely distributed over the warmer districts throughout the Old World and almost 
everywhere very common. The apex of the forewing is above broadly black with a narrow, white subapical 
band composed of 4—5 spots in cellules 3—6 and 9—10. The species forms several local races, of which 
the type-form chrysippus L. was described from Egypt and occurs everywhere on the continent of Africa; chrysippus. 
