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150
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
Hoikusha, Osaka). The only native Hawaiian lycaenid, Vaga blackburni (Tuely), has its nearest relative V. ogasawaraensis (Pryer) on the Bonin Islands. Zimmerman (op. cit., p. 494) suggests the possibility that "blackburni is a derivative of ogasawaraensis, or that they are descended from a common stock, and the original ancestors which populated Hawaii may have come from the Bonin Islands." So it is just possible that this beautiful addition to the Hawaiian fauna arrived by natural dispersal, carried more than 3000 miles by the westerly winds of the North Pacific.
Paul R. Eiirlich, Professor of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305.
CHARAXINAE (NYMPHALIDAE): OLD WORLD VERSUS NEW
The life history of Anaea eurypyle confusa Hall (Muyshondt 1974, J. Lepid. Soc. 28: 306-314) reveals some interesting differences between this species and the Old World Charaxinae. First, concerning the adults, is it quite certain that both sexes are attracted to dung and carrion? In the Old World species, only the male is so attracted, although both sexes are attracted to fermenting fruit and sap. It has been suggested that the male's attraction to dung and carrion may have some connection with the male metabolism with regard to courtship and mating. This is comparable, perhaps, to the requirements of certain male danaids for the juices of withered plants of the Boraginaceae as a precursor of the male pheromones used in courtship.
With regard to the larvae, I know of no Old World species in which the young larva constructs a perch of frass and silk on which it rests between feeds, and, as can be seen from Dr. van Someren's list of foodplants (1974, J. Lepid. Soc. 28: 315-331), the East African Charaxinae have been bred extensively. The Old World larvae usually spin a carpet of silk, without frass, on which they rest between feeding. I also know of no Old World species that makes a retreat by rolling or folding a leaf. Strangely enough, the young larvae of the genus Asterope (Eunicinae) and Cyrestis camillus F. (Marpesiinae) do have this habit of constructing a perch of silk and frass on which to rest, but none of these rolls or folds a leaf when larger.
Generally, the pupae of the Old World Charaxinae are green and monomorphic, but those of Charaxes protoclea Feisth. and C. lasti Gr. Sm. are dimorphic, having a green and a brown form. It seems highly probable that the pupae of the closely allied C. boueti Feisth. and C. cynthia Btlr. are dimorphic also.
D. G. Sevastopulo, P.O. Box 95026, Mombasa, Kenya.