BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 7: 1994 



Fig. 3. Paul Waring and Kent Li examining bush of Dalbergia benthami and finding the eggs 

 of the carpenter bee mimic Sataspes infernalis. 



Sataspes infernalis Westw., 1848 



Seven eggs which proved to be this species were collected by K. L. on our visit 

 together to the woodland at Tak Po Kau on 17 April 1993. We found about a dozen 

 in a short search and could undoubtedly have found others. Those not needed by 

 K. L. were left in situ. We had persuaded K. L. to deviate from his usual route through 

 the wood and climb further up the slopes. When we came upon a large bush of 

 Dalbergia benthami Prain (Leguminosae) growing on the edge of a surfaced forest 

 road (Fig. 3) K. L. showed us the technique he has used successfully to find the eggs 

 and larvae of S. tagalica which he had found in eleven separate locations up to that 

 point. He simply turns the leaves over one by one much as one would do for larvae 

 of the broad-bordered bee hawk-moth Hemaris fuciformis (L., 1758) in Britain, and 

 the preferred situation of the larval foodplant growing in full sun is evidently 

 much the same. The large green eggs were found and assumed to be those of 

 S. tagalica, but on rearing by K. L. proved to be 5. infernalis, the first time the species 

 has been recorded in Hong Kong. The first two larvae hatched on 21 April and the 

 rest on 22 April, pupation dates ranged from 26 May to 3 June, and the adults emerged 

 between 3 and 20 June 1993. K. L. has a series of photographs and notes of his 

 experience with this species and intends to publish the material in due course 

 (Li, in prep.). 



S. infernalis was recorded by Mell (1922: 203), uncommonly, from the area around 

 Guangzhou, China, adjacent to Hong Kong, and there are specimens in the Natural 

 History Museum, London, from there. Although it was not seen in Hong Kong during 

 Tennent's study, Tennent (1992) could see no reason why it should not occur there. 



