Publication Date:
2024-01-12
Description:
In \xe2\x80\x9eThe Rhopalocera of Java\xe2\x80\x9d, Danaidae, Satyridae, Ragadidae and Elymniadae by M. C. Piepers and P. C. T. Snellen (the Hague, H. Nyhoff, 1913) I have found on page 80, that D. melissa Cram. should be synonymous with D. limniace Cram. On the same page one read: \xe2\x80\x9eThe forms of this species (limniace Cram.) have been dealt with extensively by Fruhstorfer in \xe2\x80\x9eBerliner Entom. Zeitschr.\xe2\x80\x9d, 1899, and by Dr. L. Martin in \xe2\x80\x9eDeutsche Entom. Zeitschr. Iris\xe2\x80\x9d, 1910, where they have based several species and subspecies on these various forms; the latter attributes them to climatic influences. I suspect that here again we have simply to deal with phenomena of colour evolution; the specially pronounced spreading of the white, which plays the chief role here, being doubtless nothing else.\xe2\x80\x9d Always it will be a danger to determine a butterfly only by its external morphological characters, especially by its pattern and colour, even when people will explain the differences of pattern and colour by phenomena of colour evolution. Mr. Piepers is here not right, because there are also anatomical differences, which separate the two forms of Danais specifically. In \xe2\x80\x9eDie Grossschmetterlinge der Erde\xe2\x80\x9d, Tom. 9, pag. 202, Mr. Fruhstorfer has published, that the vulvae of the two quoted species as well as the uncus are different. He wrote the following: \xe2\x80\x9eUntersuchungen der Generationsorgane (melissa and septentrionis) haben aber die specifische Gleichartigkeit der habituell so differenzierten Formen ergeben. Nur der Uncus zeigt eine leichte Abweichung, indem er bei septentrionis distal scharf abgeschnitten, bei melissa distal leicht ausgew\xc3\xb6lbt erscheint. Die Valve ist gleichfalls nach aussen vertikal scharf abgesetzt und f\xc3\xbchrt einen fingerf\xc3\xb6rmigen Dorn mit stumpfer Spitze, der je nach der Lokalit\xc3\xa4t in der L\xc3\xa4nge wechselt\xe2\x80\x9d, and on page 204: \xe2\x80\x9eDie Valve (of limniace) ist sehr verschieden von jener der melissa-Formenreihe, joch- oder damensattelf\xc3\xb6rmig, distal nicht spitz bedornt, sondern mit kr\xc3\xa4ftigem Eckzacken bewehrt. Uncus robuster, manchmal nach aussen glatt abgeschnitten.\xe2\x80\x9d
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
Permalink
