Part 32

The expansion of the wings is 1-1/8 inches. All the wings are very pale greenish-grey. The male has three distinct dark brownish bands near the base, an irregular broad suffused band near the middle, becoming obsolete before it reaches the dorsum, a dark patch at the apex, another patch on the termen below the apex and another near the tornus. The hind-wings are traversed by numerous, very fine, wavy blackish lines, becoming darker towards the dorsum. In the female there are three wavy reddish-brown bands on the costa of the fore-wings, becoming obsolete towards the dorsum, then a wavy yellowish line, followed by two rust-red patches. The hind-wings resemble those of the male. Both sexes have the veins dotted with black, and the cilia of all the wings are grey barred with black.

{43}The perfect insect was found in a limestone valley at the foot of Mount Peel, where it was fairly common.

CHLOROCLYSTIS NEREIS, Meyr.

(Pasiphila nereis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 51.)

(Plate VI., fig. 11 .)

This insect has occurred at Mount Arthur, Mount Hutt, and the Humboldt Range, Lake Wakatipu, at elevations from 2,500 to 4,000 feet.

The expansion of the wings is nearly an inch. All the wings are dusky grey with numerous black and dull white, wavy transverse lines; there is often a somewhat paler area near the apex of the fore-wings, and the termen of the hind-wings is slightly scalloped; the cilia are dull white barred with dark greyish-black.

The perfect insect appears in January and February. It generally frequents cliffs on mountain sides, resting with outspread wings on the dark rocky surfaces. In these situations it is extremely difficult to detect, and the protective value of its colouring is thus at once demonstrated.

CHLOROCLYSTIS DRYAS, Meyr.

(Pasiphila dryas, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxiii. 97.)

(Plate VI., fig. 12 .)

This species has occurred at Wellington.

The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. The fore-wings are dull rosy-brown, traversed by numerous obscure blackish transverse lines, somewhat concentrated towards the middle and forming an ill-defined central band; the termen is slightly shaded with blackish, and the veins are marked with dotted lines. The hind-wings are grey, tinged with rosy-brown; there are numerous very faint blackish transverse lines and the veins are marked with blackish dots. The cilia of all the wings are dark grey. The termen of the hind-wings is rather irregular.

The perfect insect appears in December and January, and is attracted by light. I once took a specimen in July, but this may have been due to an exceptionally mild winter.

CHLOROCLYSTIS SPHRAGITIS, Meyr.

(Pasiphila sphragitis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 51.)

(Plate VI., fig. 13 , 14 .)

This extremely variable insect has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Christchurch in the South Island.

The expansion of the wings of the male is 5/8 inch, of the female ¾ inch. The fore-wings are pale ochreous; there is a narrow darker area at the base followed by a narrow oblique pale band; then a broad central band, formed of numerous oblique, wavy, brown, transverse lines, next, a rather narrow curved pale band, followed by several small irregular patches on the termen, sometimes forming a dark brown terminal band; all the markings are much darker on the costa, and portions of the costa, termen, and dorsum are frequently tinged with green. The hind-wings are pale ochreous; there are numerous wavy, pale brown lines on the dorsum, becoming obsolete towards the costa. The termen of all the wings is edged with fine black crescents. The cilia are pale ochreous barred with dark brown.

The perfect insect may be met with from September till February, but is most abundant in the early spring. It is extremely common in the Wellington Botanical Gardens, frequenting the forest gullies, where numerous specimens may be easily dislodged from amongst the dense undergrowth. This moth rests with expanded wings on the leaves and stems of shrubs, but is extremely difficult to find in such situations, the colouring of the insect causing it to closely resemble the droppings of birds.

{44}CHLOROCLYSTIS LICHENODES, Purd.

(Pasiphila lichenodes, Purdie, Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 70.)

(Plate VI., figs. 15 and 16, varieties.)

This extremely interesting species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Dunedin in the South Island; it has also been found at Stewart Island.

The expansion of the wings is about ¾ inch. The fore-wings are dull green; there is a large pale brown area near the base, divided by fine black lines into three distinct patches; the central portion of the wing is mottled with black, pale brown, and dull green; there is a very broad, irregular band of chocolate-brown near the termen, outlined with black towards the base and with white towards the termen, the white line almost dividing the band into four or five patches. The hind-wings are dull greenish-brown; there are several irregular black and white transverse lines and small patches of chocolate-brown, the markings being more distinct towards the dorsum. The cilia of all the wings are pale brown barred with dark brown.

I have observed that in many specimens of this species the ground colour is entirely pale brown instead of green; the markings, however, are not variable.

The perfect insect appears from November till February. It frequents forests, resting with outspread wings on lichen-covered tree-trunks, where its wonderfully perfect protective colouring may be seen to great advantage. The remarkable brown patches on the wings have undoubtedly been acquired for this protective purpose, and Mr. Purdie's name is certainly a most appropriate one. It is not, I think, a common species.

CHLOROCLYSTIS INDICATARIA.