62 
SYNTOMIDAE. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
wingspot is of course not present, but on the abdomen on each side of the second segment is a brilliant yellow 
spot, which when the insect is at rest, shine through the transparent hindwings, which are laid over the back 
and appear in exactly the same spot as these wingspot are placed in the model wasp. It. is not easy to see, 
that these brilliant yellow spots, which give these insects their characteristic appearance, are placed on the 
wing in the wasp and under the wings in the moth. The half-centimenter long steel-blue ovipositor is imitated 
by the Trichura by a chitin protuberance at the end of the abdomen, which projects half a centimeter beyond 
the anal segment. It is of course not possible to see with the naked eye, that this is no sting, but only a 
soft thread, which has been brought to the thickness of the hard sheath of the ichneumon ovipositor by the 
presences of scales situated on its sides. 
We have not discovered such impudent disguises amongst the Indian Syntomidae. Notwithstanding I 
was able to discover an undoubted case of mimicry of Pollistes wasps on the part of a Syntomis species in the 
Indoaustralasian South China, which I have described in Vol. 2, p. 38 in discussing the Palaearctic Syntomidae. 
When disturbed the insect, when sitting on a flower, raises its wings just as a wasp does, but never in the 
same way as a Zygaena would do and walks with sudden movements just as do the Pollistes, Vespa and others 
of their imitators such as Aegeriidae (apiforme, tabaniforme etc.). 
Generally speaking the Indian Syntomidae do not imitate any distinct model in its details, but the 
mimicry is confined to a general wasplike appearance and behavior. Transparent veined wings and a yellow 
ringed abdomen are certainly in a high degree suspicious for any sting fearing agressor and that beasts of 
prey are capable of forming a better judgement about their prey, than the human intelligence, is a fable, about 
which anyone laughs, who has spent only a few weeks with the rearing of insectivorous animals, hike the 
wise horse, whose fine sense of discrimination frequently saves the life of his rider, but who is frequently in 
a terrible fright about a balk of wood, which is laid acroos his path and like the dog who no longer recognizes 
his master, if the latter throws a cloth over his head, but will bark at him, all animals which fear the sting 
of the wasp will avoid the wasplike dress, even if it is only of a general aculeata character and no distinct 
modell is imitated. 
The Syntimidae are industrious flower visitors and as such are not shy. They collect in sunny, flower 
covered spots in swarms, but I have never found them in such immense swarms as is for instance the case 
with the Zygaenidae on the hillsides of Italy and Algeria. Only exceptionally have I met with them in large 
numbers, so for instance Syntomis grotei in South China and Syntomis passalis in Ceylon. But here certain 
biological contingencies appear to have been in force. The S. grottei I found collected on certain bushes, 
whose flowers seemed to attract them from afar and the S. passalis were collected together on grass stalks, 
which gave one the impression, that a wasps nest was present, when one saw the large numbers of yellow 
ringed insects coming and going. Possibly females were seated in the neighbourhood. 
The number of known Indo-australasian Syntomidae amounts to-day to between 2—300. It varies 
according t.o whether one regards the southern Yang-si-kiang bank, on which many species occur, as a boundary 
of the Palaearctic region, or as is more important as a portion of the Indoaustralasian. The number of forms 
also varies according to whether one regards the numerous anomolies in the spotting of the wings and the 
rings of the abdomen as worthy of a name or not. In working the European species, one has gone very far 
in this respect. (S. phega, D. ancilla) Hampson on the other hand has observed a worthy moderation. I myself 
hold the view, which is generally recommended, of using a new name, whereever constant characters so change 
the look of the insect, that the general appearance is influenced and the possibility arises not to recognize the 
species or to refer it to the wrong species. When working the Zygaenidae (Vol. 2, p. 18—32 I drew attention 
at the start to the rule, which may also be applied to the Syntomidae, that the 6-spotted forms, almost 
invariably occur as 5-spotted, and vice-versa, and that an abdominal ring is almost invariably present and 
absent. In spite of this since the appearance of this publication, all such forms, where they have been 
discovered, have been christened; in fact critics have pointed out remarks in this work, where such chance 
variations have been treated as valueless, as a mistake. Therefore in future, we shall treat such variations 
more thoroughly and not so summarily as before, whenever such variations seem worthy of observation on 
the base of sufficient material. 
Pmrely has a family such constant color caracteristis as the Indian Syntomidae. Transparent, white 
or yellow toned spots on a black ground or vice-varsa and a brightly ringed abdomen characterises 99% of 
all Indian Syntomidae. The shape is also very constant, and not subject to such extensive variation, as is the 
case with their American relatives. Only the size varies, and this does not extend beyond a modest middle size. 
With regard to the general peculiarities of build, the relationship, geographical distribution and the 
very slightly known younger stages, I have dealt with this thoroughly in Vol. 2, p. 37, 38 and can only refer 
to it there. Owing to the fact, that in the Indian fauna, a few new Genera are present, the continuity is 
slightly altered from that in the Palaearctic part. 
