Part 24

The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are uniform dull bronzy-brown and very glossy; there are one or two faint indications of transverse lines. The hind-wings are dark grey, also glossy.

The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March, and is attracted by light. The single specimen I possess in my collection was taken in July, evidently hibernating. It is a rare species.

BITYLA SERICEA, Butl.

(Bityla sericea, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, 387, pl. xlii. 12; Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 31.)

(Plate V., fig. 34.)

This rather striking insect has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Christchurch and Lake Guyon in the South Island.

{30}The expansion of the wings is about 1¾ inches. The fore-wings are very dark greyish-black, darker near the termen, and very glossy; there are several isolated white scales towards the base of the wing, and a very obscure transverse line at about three-fourths; the cilia are cream colour and very conspicuous. The hind-wings are dark grey and glossy; the cilia are pale grey, very broadly tipped with cream colour.

The perfect insect appears in February and March, and is attracted by light. It is a rather scarce species.

Genus 10.--AGROTIS, Ochs.

Head rough-scaled; eyes naked. Antennæ in ciliated, often acutely bidentate or bipectinated, with apex simple. Thorax usually with more or less developed anterior and posterior crests. Abdomen not crested. Tibiæ all spinose.

"A very large genus occurring all over the world but much more plentifully in the northern hemisphere. The larvæ are very indiscriminate in their tastes, often feeding on almost any low plant; they are frequently subterranean in habit, but usually emerge by night to feed."--(Meyrick.)

This genus is represented in New Zealand by five species, one of which is an insect of almost world-wide distribution.

AGROTIS YPSILON, Rott.

(Noctua ypsilon, Rott. Agrotis suffusa, Hb. Agrotis ypsilon, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 32.)

(Plate V., fig. 35 , 36 .)

This handsome insect is probably very common throughout the country. It has occurred abundantly at Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Ashburton and Invercargill.

The expansion of the wings is 2 inches. The fore-wings are pale brown, shaded with rich brown on the costa and termen; the reniform is large and black, with a conspicuous longitudinal streak pointing towards the termen; the orbicular is round, centred with black; the claviform is elongate; there is a dark shaded line below the reniform, followed by a double wavy transverse black line. The hind-wings are grey with pinkish reflections; they are shaded with darker grey towards the termen; the cilia are white, the head and thorax are dark brown, the abdomen grey. In the female the brown costal shading extends across the central portions of the fore-wings to the dorsum, and the general colouring is also darker.

There are no noteworthy variations in either sex. The larva feeds on the roots of grasses. Its head is pale brown mottled with darker brown, and its body is lead-colour with darker dorsal and lateral lines. It remains underground during the daytime, coming abroad at night to feed.

The pupa is red-brown with a very sharp, spine-like extremity. It is concealed in the earth.

The perfect insect appears in January, February and March. It is often very abundant at various blossoms in the evening, and comes readily to sugar. It is an insect of almost universal distribution, occurring in Australia, China, India, Africa, Europe, and North and South America.

{31}AGROTIS ADMIRATIONIS, Gn.

(Agrotis admirationis, Gn. (nec Meyrick), Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 38.)

(Plate V., fig. 37.)

This species has been taken at Christchurch.

The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are dull grey; there are two minute black marks on the costa near the base, a slender interrupted transverse line at about one-third, the orbicular, reniform, and claviform spots are very large and conspicuous, surrounded by a dark grey shading; there is a series of black dots on the termen. The hind-wings are pale grey. The cilia of all the wings are also pale grey.

Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection. I am assured by Mr. Fereday that the above-described insect is the true Agrotis admirationis of Guenée, described from an identical specimen which he forwarded to Guenée. The following species, which is regarded by Mr. Meyrick as Agrotis admirationis, Gn. (see Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 33), is therefore renamed as below.

AGROTIS INNOMINATA, n. sp.

(Agrotis admirationis, Meyr. (nec Guenée), Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 33.)