Part 17

(Plate IV., fig. 37 .)

Three specimens of this handsome species have occurred at Lake Coleridge in the South Island.

The expansion of the wings is 1-5/8 inches. The fore-wings are grey, very faintly tinged with pink, the markings are yellowish-green margined with black, the reniform is large, oval, clear white, with a minute white dot above and below it, there is a series of conspicuous black-edged yellow spots near the termen; the cilia are grey with a series of minute black and white dots at their base. The hind-wings are pale crimson shaded with dark grey near the termen, there is an obscure grey spot near the middle; the cilia are grey. The sides of the abdomen are bright crimson.

The moth appears in March.

Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.

MELANCHRA RHODOPLEURA, Meyr.

(Mamestra rhodopleura, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 19.)

(Plate IV., fig. 38.)

This species has been taken in the North Island at Napier and Wellington.

The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are greenish-grey, with the markings yellow margined with black; the hind-wings are dark grey with a terminal series of small yellow spots. The sides of the abdomen are bright crimson.

This insect is very closely allied to Melanchra pictula, but the absence of the white reniform spot and the grey hind-wings, will at once distinguish it from that species.

The perfect insect appears in May and June. It is decidedly rare.

MELANCHRA MEROPE, n. sp.

(Plate V., fig. 2.)

A single specimen of this handsome insect was taken in the Wellington Botanical Gardens in October, 1887.

The expansion of the wings is nearly two inches. The fore-wings are rich chocolate-brown, with yellow markings outlined in very deep brown; there is a rather broad broken transverse line near the base; a yellow blotch containing a slender curved brown line, on the dorsum at about one-fourth, forming the end of another extremely broken transverse line; the reniform is large, finely outlined with brown towards the base of the wing and half filled in with yellow towards the termen; between the reniform and the dorsum there is a jagged yellow transverse line; there is a terminal series of dark brown streaks and yellow spots, and the termen itself is scalloped; the cilia are dark brown. The hind-wings are pale brown, pinkish tinged; there is an obscure terminal line; the cilia are brownish-pink. The head and thorax are dark brown, the abdomen pale brown, with the crests darker.

MELANCHRA PELISTIS, Meyr.

(Mamestra pelistis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 20.)

(Plate V., fig. 3 , 4 .)

This species has occurred at Wellington and at Paikakariki, in the North Island. In the South Island it has been found at Akaroa and Lake Coleridge.

The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are dull ochreous more or less shaded with dark reddish-brown, especially in the vicinity of the transverse lines; there are several obscure pale marks near the base; the orbicular is grey, margined towards the dorsum with a conspicuous white or dull yellow crescentic line; the claviform is small, round, dull grey, edged with darker; the reniform is large, darker grey, paler towards the costa, margined with {20}white or dull yellow towards the base of the wing and termen; there are two obscure transverse lines, the outer one often being slightly toothed towards the termen; sometimes there is a terminal series of minute black marks; the cilia are brown. The hind-wings are dark grey, with the cilia white.

This species varies considerably in the ground colouring of the fore-wings. In some specimens the wing is almost entirely rich reddish-brown, whilst in others this colouring is confined to the vicinity of the stigmata and transverse lines. Numerous intermediate varieties exist which seem to connect these two forms.

The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March. It is very common in the Wellington Botanical Gardens on the white rata blossoms.

MELANCHRA PROTEASTIS, Meyr.

(Mamestra vitiosa, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 20 (nec Butl.). Mamestra proteastis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 45.)

(Plate IV., fig. 40 .)

This insect is very common in the neighbourhood of Christchurch.

The expansion of the wings is 1¼ inches. The fore-wings are dark chocolate-brown; there are several very obscure marks near the base, the orbicular and claviform spots are almost invisible, the reniform is pale brown with a minute dot above and below it towards the termen, followed by a pale, darker-margined, transverse line. The hind-wings are dull brownish-grey, with the cilia paler. The female is rather darker in colour than the male.