INTRODUCTION. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
o 
diminutive Zizera, the smallest forms of which can only he seen by stooping down and carefully examining 
the tufts of grass, and which in danger crawl away and hide between the blades like little midges. We 
also find among the Indo-Australian Lycaenids many biologically interesting species, which sometimes live 
for a time with ants, and even occasionally in the larval stage appear to feed on the early stages of 
the ants. 
The Indian Hesperids occur in much less numerous forms than the American ones, but include 
many particularly large species. Several genera, as Imiene, Bliopalocampta, I laser a, etc., are partly nocturnal 
in their habits and remain concealed during the day. 
As transitions from the large division of the Butterflies, especially from the Grypocera to the 
Heterocera, we may regard the Old World Synemon, just as the American Castniids. They form one 
genus confined to Australia and their especially numerous occurrence in its western and south-western 
parts proves that in them we are dealing with an old genus, driven to this remote corner of the earth by 
the immigrant Indian fauna of the North. Their close connection with the tropical Indian Neocaslnia and 
the genuine New World Castnia would be difficult to prove. 
The Zygaenidae are represented in the Indo-Australian Region especially by the group of the 
Chalcosiids and offer as such all imaginable grades of mimetic colouring. They have even borrowed the 
habits of their models and copy sometimes protected Butterflies, sometimes Syntomids or even other insects, 
not belonging to the Lepidoptera. Certain parallels with American moths are very note-worthy. Thus the 
moths of the genus Amesia in danger seek their safety at first in flight, but feign death when touched, 
lying perfectly still with the wings folded together behind. At the same time, with a hissing or chirping 
noise, they exude from the thorax shiny drops of froth, which gradually cover the whole insect with yellow 
spittle, just as do the members of the American genus Antliomyzu. The Indian llimantopterm, like their 
African relatives, are believed to be associated with the Termites. 
Apparently connected with some groups of the Zygaenid family are the Epicopeia, a nocturnal 
genus, mimetically altered to such an extent that it is impossible now to conjecture what habitus the in¬ 
sects possessed before their mimetic transformation. Perhaps they are descended from Histia - like Ghaleo- 
siids, perhaps it is more correct with Hampson to place them among the Uraniiclae. 
The Syntomidae all belong to proportionately few genera and cannot be compared in their varia¬ 
bility and their mimetic disguises with the American members of this family. Although here and there 
brilliant metallic colours are developed in India, yet the larger number of the Old World Syntomids copy 
black-yellow wasps and their costume appears therefore from the biological standpoint more practical than 
brilliant as is that of the American Glaucopids, which veritably resemble flying precious stones and suggest 
a comparison with the American Humming-birds, just as a parallel has been drawn between the group of 
Ornithoptera and the New Guinea birds of Paradise. 
From them the very remarkable Papuan Cocytia lead us to the Lithosiids and the true Arctiidae. 
The centre of development of this family lies in the Temperate Zone in as much as just the largest and 
most brilliant species do not live between the tropics. The Lithosiids and the Nolids are generally regarded 
as old, primitive groups, a few parallel branches of which have further advanced in evolution and become 
the ancestors of the more highly developed groups of Heterocera of modern times. Very noticeable is the 
constancy in size, habitus, and sometimes also colouring, which connects the Lithosiids of the most different 
countries together and in many cases even extends to the habits. 
The Liparids attain their highest development in the Indo-Australian Region. As in the extreme 
north of the Arctic district, we find them also far in the south in on the whole similar development; anil 
as they do not produce gigantic forms, so also as regards colouring and markings they are mostly confined 
fo the same regular pattern: a light, often satiny yellow or white with dark central lunule and blackish 
serrated lines on the forewing. Even as regards their biological conditions they show a great uniformity. 
We see exactly the same circling flight in the South-East Asiatic Pantar a as in the European Orcjyia, and 
a female of Epicoma melanostictu beaten out in the Australian bush assumes exactly the same pecidiat posi¬ 
tion, with rolled-up abdomen and wings erected, as a female of Psilura monacha taken in a North German 
pine forest. 
The Limacodids play a prominent part in the Indo-Australian Region. The largest known forms 
of the family are found in the Indian Scopelodes and Phocoderma, and in Australia the occurrence of many 
Limacodid larvae on the indigenous Eucalyptus indicates a long and very close adaptation to this part ot 
the world. The powerful urticating organs of the larva probably attain their highest development in the 
Australian Doratifera vulnercms, yet the larva of the Chinese Parasa sinensis can sting almost as strongly. 
The Psychids, on account of a certain uniformity in their distribution, take a less prominent place 
in the Indo-Australian Region compared with the other Heterocera, although the largest known form of 
the family is found in the Australian Metura elongata. But while in the Indian Region they surpass those 
