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Sataspes infernalis Westwood
Sesia infernalis Westwood, 1848, Cabinet. Orient. Ent., p. 61.
Sataspes infernalis Westwood; Rothschild & Jordan, 1903: 472.
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Sataspes infernalis 
(Burma)
(.83
natural size)
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Diagnosis. The bee-like appearance of this species is unmistakable. In
Sumatra flies the congener S. tagalica Boisduval (Diehl, 1980). This lacks
the yellow scaling on the thorax and abdomen, and has more oblique,
definite fasciation at the base of the forewing. The iridescence in
tagalica is greenish blue rather than reddish blue.
Geographical range. India, W. China, Burma, Borneo.
Habitat preference. Only two specimens have been noted in Borneo. One was
filmed visiting a flower over a stream in tall secondary forest at Poring
near G. Kinabalu. The other was found dead in a ditch at Seria, Brunei
(Harman, 1981).
Biology. Bell & Scott (1937) described all instars of the larva. Early
instars are pale green with the horn black. The final instar is pale
glaucous green, darker on the venter, with six whitish oblique stripes,
the one associated with the horn being stronger than the rest. Some larvae
have a diamond shaped pale or reddish brown patch dorsally on A3-4,
flanked by larger patches; further small patches may occur just anteriorly
to this and on A6.
Recorded host-plants (Bell & Scott) are: Albizia, Dalbergia, Lespedeza
(Leguminosae).
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