1216 
AEGERIIDAE. General Topics. By B. Zukowsky. 
outermost part of the bark, only leaving a cuticle as thin as paper, which can be easily pierced by the advancing 
pupa. Some pupate out in the passage, others shut off the passage above besides with a small finely spun lid. 
very many make from the nibbled fragments of woody fibres and faecal remnants a cocoon which is as soft 
as silk inside and which is slightly closed near the head or can be lifted like a lid, so that the emerging insect 
devoid of any biting jaws may be able to get out; others leave even the trunk and spin themselves a cocoon 
in the soil. On its abdominal segments the pupa has coronae of short hard chitinous bristles enabling it to 
climb within its burrow and to bore itself out while emerging; the empty chrysalis shell then protrudes 
from the burrow long after the pupa has emerged. In spite of their concealed habits many species are much 
infested by parasites, so that it frequently occurs that instead of the expected lepidoptera a large number 
of parasitic Hymenoptera appear. The development of the emerged lepidoptera mostly (in the smaller species 
invariably) proceeds very quickly, sometimes in a few minutes, and as soon as the insect is able to fly, the 
desire for copulation springs up. Most of the Aegeriidae are fond of visiting flowers. In dull weather the 
lepidoptera are often found, like the Zygaenidae, resting on blossoms or on stalks and trunks, where they are 
easily captured by collectors. 
If the outlet-tube is made, one can easily crush in or blow off the thin cuticle by brushing the trunks 
with a wire brush and thus lay open the passage by chiselling it out or sawing it off. First condition, however, 
is that the pupa remains enclosed in the passage; every pupa that is taken out will perish without exception. 
Low plants, when attacked, almost invariably show a sickly exterior, yellow leaves, less developed blossoms 
etc., so that it is likewise easy here to get hold of the larva or pupa by pulling these plants out or by breaking 
them off. — When catching them with the net, one must go to work very quickly and carefully, as the nimble 
little insects whirl about, and both the scales and fringes being but loosely fitted, it is very difficult to obtain 
quite undamaged specimens in this way. The legs are likewise very loosely attached and easily break off, which 
is all the more regrettable since the determination of a species is frequently rendered difficult by their absence, 
because the species are more easily distinguished by the spines, the hair and often also the colouring of the 
legs. Especially striking is the fur-like hair, which resembles the coating on a bee’s legs, on the tibiae and tarsi 
of the Melittia- species which are especially common in tropical and subtropical regions and of which considerable 
number of species are already known. The Aegeriidae copy bees so well that a Melittia sucking blossoms not 
only exhibits mostly bright-coloured hair on the hindlegs but also the habit of the copied bee of keeping still 
with its wings folded up, when creeping into the blossom, and then stretching its legs hindways with the fictitious 
velvet trousers. 
Contrary to other faunistic regions, America harbours an enormous number of Synantliedon species, as 
nearly half of all the species known from there belong to this genus. Although we must admit that some of 
them are not properly grouped at present, as for instance S. animosa , belirensi, geliformis, jragariae. sapygae- 
formis, polygon!, achillae etc., yet a considerably larger number of Synantliedon remains for America than for 
the rest of the world. As the Synantliedon species in other regions, and as far as is known in America too, are 
without exception tree and shrub inhabitants, the vast forests of the north, as well as the primeval ones of the 
south have favoured the development of this genus. The species mentioned, and a few more besides, will have 
to be classed among Chamaesphecia and Dipsosphecia for which also their “swarming over the steppes of the 
earth” speaks. Besides these two genera are unnaturally sparsely represented otherwise in the American Fauna. 
Without doubt, only a part of all the existing species is known, even in North America which is compa¬ 
ratively well combed through, here and there new species constantly come to light, while Central and South 
America supply a great many more. The estimate that to the 300 or so known species there will come in the 
course of time a half or at least a quarter as many again, before an approximate close of new discoveries can 
be spoken of. is very probably correct. On the other hand, it must be said that many a single specimen described 
as a species will turn out to be a missing sex of another or a synonym. 
The preparation and keeping of the Aegeriidae is particularly difficult because the insects, above all 
the^d'd', very soon get oily and besides also cause verdigris to form on the needles, so that it is best to use black 
or still better Krupp steel needles from the first. Specimens which have flown are less subject to this appearance, 
which is attributed by many to diminished moisture and the using up of certain juices and the corrosive fatty 
acids contained therein. The well-known method of breaking off the abdomen is hardly possible on account 
of the many loose scales and the possible damage when sticking them on again. It is therefore better to put 
the specimens so attacked right into deoiling liquid, as the whole body is generally affected. Light-petrol cleans 
fairly well, but better is sulphuric ether and carbonic disulphide; the vessels must be tightly closed as the sub¬ 
stances mentioned evaporate quickly and are inflammable. 24 hours are usually sufficient, stubborn cases need 
a second treatment. After having been used several times the liquid must be renewed, as too much of the ex¬ 
tracted fat will have collected, shown by the slightly yellow tint. Very finely powdered bole deoils quite well 
otherwise, but cannot be used for Aegeriidae, as the extremely sensitive, fragile legs and antennae do not permit 
