Part 25

(Plate V., fig. 39 .)

Two specimens of this species have been taken at Wellington.

The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are pale pinkish-yellow; there is a slender black longitudinal streak on the costa at the base, a broad black longitudinal streak at the base near the middle, and another a little beyond the base above the middle, containing the orbicular and reniform stigmata, these are sharply outlined in pinkish-yellow; there are several rather indistinct black streaks between the veins, and a series of terminal black dots; the cilia are dull pinkish-yellow. The hind-wings are dull white; there is a series of brownish terminal dots, and the veins are marked in brown; the cilia are shining white. The head and thorax are pinkish-brown; the latter has two transverse black lines near the head, and two longitudinal black streaks on each side. The abdomen is dull white tipped with pale brown.

One specimen of this insect is considerably tinged with very pale olive-green instead of pink, but it is otherwise identical. As the available material is so extremely limited, I am unable to say which is the typical form.

The perfect insect appears in December. I am indebted to Messrs. J. H. Lewis and W. R. Morris for my specimens.

AGROTIS SERICEA, Butl.

(Chersotis sericea, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 490. C. inconspicua, ib. 545. Agrotis sericea, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 33. A. inconspicua, ib. 34. Agrotis sericea, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 46.)

(Plate V., fig. 38 .)

This species has occurred in the South Island at Christchurch, Rakaia, and Ashburton.

The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings vary from very pale grey to dark blackish-grey; there is an obscure transverse line near the base, and another at about one-fourth; the orbicular is oval and dark centred, the claviform is elongate, often very obscure, the reniform is broad dark centred, usually joined to the orbicular by a dark patch; all the stigmata are outlined in black; beyond the reniform there is a rather jagged transverse line, and several faint wedge-shaped markings; there is a series of minute elongate black marks on the termen; the cilia are grey with three dark lines. The hind-wings are grey with several fine black marks on the termen; the cilia are white.

This species seems to be rather variable both in ground colour and in markings.

The perfect insect appears in October, November, December and January. It is not a common species.

{32}AGROTIS CEROPACHOIDES, Gn.

(Agrotis ceropachoides, Gn., Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 39; Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 34.)

(Plate VI., fig. 1.)

This species has occurred at Rakaia.

The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are bluish-grey, dotted and streaked with darker grey; there are no distinct markings, except an obscure transverse shading near the termen, and a series of dull terminal spots; the costa is slightly concave. The hind-wings are grey, paler towards the base, with a dark line on the termen; the cilia of all the wings are grey.

The perfect insect appears in July, August and September.

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

Genus 11.--HELIOTHIS, Ochs.

"Head rough-scaled; eyes naked. Antennæ in ciliated. Thorax without crest. Abdomen not crested. Tibiæ spinose, anterior tibiæ with horny apical hook.

"A rather small genus, but very generally distributed, though commoner in subtropical regions; it is a development of Caradrina; some of the species have a very wide natural range. The larvæ feed especially on the blossoms of their food-plants."--(Meyrick.)

This genus is represented in New Zealand by the world-wide Heliothis armigera.

HELIOTHIS ARMIGERA, Hb.

(Heliothis armigera, Hb. H. conferta, Walk., Noct. 690. H. armigera, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 34.)

(Plate V., fig. 40 , 41 .)

This species has occurred plentifully at Waimarama (Hawkes Bay) and Wellington, in the North Island; and at Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch, Rakaia, and Ashburton in the South Island. In Wellington it is certainly not so common as formerly, and Mr. Meyrick observes that its abundance is declining in some other localities also.

The expansion of the wings is from 1½ to 1¾ inches. The fore-wings are pale yellowish-brown, sometimes tinged with red. There is an irregular band of dull grey or brown near the termen; the reniform is small and black; the orbicular minute, also black; the claviform is obsolete; there are several very indistinct traces of transverse lines towards the base of the wing. The hind-wings are dull yellow, with a very broad, blackish, terminal band. The head and thorax are yellowish-brown, and the abdomen is dull yellow.