INTRODUCTION. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
5 
Very prominent are the species of the genus Rhopalocampta (indigenous to Africa), which fly by day, 
although allied to the nocturnal Ismene. Rhopalocampta forestall, with buzzing, moth-like flight, which is 
widely distributed in Africa and often hovers in myriads round the flowering trees, is quite one of the 
characteristic species of many districts. Ethiopian Africa has not a single form in common with America 
and only very few with Europe, whilst the Atlas countries possess almost exclusively forms allied to 
European species. CelaenorrhinusCyclopides, Baoris, Caenicles and Pardaleodes , together with the above 
mentioned Rhopalocampta, are the most widely distributed genera of Africa. 
Passing to the Heterocera we find the family of the Zygaenids in a series of forms which are 
closely allied to our genus Zygaena and represent this essentially Palaearctic genus in the Ethiopian Region. 
In place of the crimson of our European Zygaena bright yellow is the prevailing colour of their South 
African allies; otherwise Zutulba , Neurosymploca and Arichalca only differ slightly in shape and size from 
the European forms. It is very striking that the true Chalcosiinae, the group of the Zygaenidae most rich 
in species, is scarcely represented at all in Africa, although the genus Chalcosia itself reaches with Aden in 
Arabia an offshoot of the Ethiopian Region. The few African Ghalcosiid genera deviate somewhat considerably 
from the typical character of this subfamily, so that it might well be considered whether they should not 
be removed from it altogether. — The subfamily of th e Himantopterinae is represented in Africa by a small number 
of forms, which were formerly regarded as a separate family under the name of Thymaridae. They are associated 
with Termites, and their singularly metamorphosed hindwings have doubtless a distinct biological significance. 
The Syntomidae occur in tropical Africa, as in all other tropical lands, in a variety of shapes and 
forms. Pseudonactia and Stictonaclia represent the Palaearctic Dysauxes, and very many genera, such as 
Tascia , Eutomis , Myopsyche, Epitaxis, Thyretes, Apisa, Metarctia (particularly rich in species) and others, are 
wholly confined to the Ethiopian Region. 
The Lithosiidae, scattered over the whole world, have also many forms in Africa. Being inconspicuous 
little night-fliers, hardly noticed by the ordinary collector, many of them were not known until lately, and 
it is probable that the thorough exploration of Africa which has recently been commenced will bring to 
light many new forms. 
Of the Arctiidae it has already been said in the introductions to Vol. V and Vol. IX that their 
principal habitat, at least as concerns the typical, gay-coloured genera, is in the temperate zone. In Africa 
it is especially the more unicolorous Diacrisia and Estigmene which represent the family. But this only 
refers to the part of Africa which constitutes the Ethiopian Region; the Palaearctic north is proved to 
belong to Europe by the occurrence of gay-coloured »woolly bears«, such as Arctia villica, fasciata and dido, 
of truly northern character. 
As Hypsidae a number of genera are being classified, some of which are peculiar to Africa, as 
Egybolis, Caryatis, etc., whilst others are scattered over the tropics of the Old World, as Eligma. As long 
as this group, which probably forms only a subdivision of some other family and from which many genera 
will have to be removed, has not been accurately defined and systematically worked out in detail, a con¬ 
sideration of the forms included in it in a given fauna has no great value. 
Almost the same applies to the Nyctemeridae as to the previous group. Quite a number of the 
genera formerly included in it, some of them exclusively Ethiopian, have been proved to be erroneously 
placed there. The genus Nyctemera itself is represented by a series of species, among which are some 
mimetic forms {Nyctemera acraeina), which copy the favourite African model, Acraea. 
The Liparidae with their universal distribution have also genera peculiar to the Ethiopian Region. 
Most of the African species belong to widely distributed genera, such as Orgyia, Lymaniria, Dasychira, Aroa, etc. 
The faunistic relations of the Psychidae to the several countries and continents have already been 
characterised in the V. Volume (p. 7). From the southern half of Africa, resp. from Madagascar, very 
few species, among which, however, are some of the larger forms, have as yet been mad,e known; but it 
is to be expected that when more orderly conditions in the interior of Africa permit of larva-breeding, the 
number of known African Psychids will be very considerably increased. 
The small number of Limacodidae in tropical and southern Africa is very noticeable. Besides some 
few representatives of generally distributed genera, such as Parasa (Neaera), Miresa and Natada, there are 
scarcely any specially African forms in this family. Although the fact that more forms are recorded from 
Madagascar, the Heterocera of which are better known, than from the continent, leads us to hope for 
numerous discoveries in the future, yet it is unmistakable that the west of the Old World is avoided by 
this otherwise almost cosmopolitan group, as we have already intimated in connection with the distribution 
of the Limacodidae in Europe. 
The collective group of the Notodontidae is on the whole very weakly represented. It is the 
more remarkable that the genera indigenous to Africa, such as Anaphe and Antheua, are such as are further 
