Part 37

The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The fore-wings are bright green, with three very distinct wavy black transverse lines; the first near the base, the second a little before the middle, and the third considerably beyond the middle; between these there is a number of fainter fine wavy lines. The hind-wings are whitish with several very faint wavy transverse lines; the cilia of all the wings are dull yellowish-brown.

The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March. Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.

HYDRIOMENA ARIDA, Butl.

(Melanthia arida, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 505. Cidaria chaotica, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 76. Cidaria arida, Meyr., ib. xvii. 64.)

(Plate VII., fig. 15.)

This species has occurred in the South Island at Akaroa, Mount Hutt, Arthur's Pass, and Dunedin.

The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. The fore-wings are dull grey; there is a fine yellowish {51}transverse line near the base, and a very broad central band with a prominent projection somewhat below the middle, almost touching the termen; there is a brown dot above the middle of the wing and numerous fine brown wavy lines in the central band; the veins are marked in white near the termen. The hind-wings are pale ochreous, with a few very faint transverse marks near the dorsum. The termen of the fore-wings is slightly bowed in the middle.

The perfect insect appears in January and February, and frequents forest, sometimes being found as high as 2,600 feet above the sea-level. Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.

HYDRIOMENA SIRIA, Meyr.

(Cephalissa siria, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 93.)

(Plate VI., fig. 48.)

This odd little species was discovered by Professor Hutton at Dunedin.

The expansion of the wings is 5/8 inch. The fore-wings are rich brown with two transverse bands of darker brown; the first near the base, rather narrow; the second near the middle, considerably broader, especially on the costa. The hind-wings are bright orange. The termen of the fore-wings is slightly excavated below the apex, and considerably bowed a little below the middle.

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

Genus 7.--EUCHOECA, Hb.

"Face smooth, flat. Antennæ in shortly ciliated. Palpi short, slender, loosely scaled. Fore-wings with areole simple. Hind-wings with vein 8 anastomosing with cell to beyond middle.

"A small genus containing a few species distributed throughout the northern hemisphere and one Australian."--(Meyrick.)

We have one species.

EUCHOECA RUBROPUNCTARIA, Dbld.

(Ptychopoda rubropunctaria, Dbld., Dieff. N. Z. li. 287. Asthena visata, Gn. ix. 438. Asthena, Gn., E. M. M. v. 42. Asthena pulchraria, Butl., Cat. pl. iii. 18. Hippolyte rubropunctaria, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 60. Epicyme rubropunctaria, Meyr., ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate VI., fig. 35.)

This little species is common and generally distributed throughout both the North and South Islands, and has also occurred at Stewart Island.

The expansion of the wings is about 7/8 inch. All the wings are pale ochreous, with numerous obscure reddish transverse lines. On the fore-wings there are four transverse series of black dots; the first near the base, the second a little before the middle, the third a little beyond the middle, and the fourth on the termen; between the second and third series of dots there is very frequently an elongate blackish patch, especially towards the dorsum. The hind-wings have three series of black dots; the first near the base, the second near the middle, and the third on the termen. The termen of both fore- and hind-wings slightly projects near the middle.

This species varies considerably in the extent of the blackish marking near the middle of the fore-wings, as well as in the colour and intensity of the reddish transverse lines.

The larva is thus described by Mr. Fereday: "The caterpillar has ten legs, is cylindrical, rather stout, with the segmental divisions incised; its colour is pale dull green, sometimes suffused with pink, brown, purple, or dark green; the dorsal line is purplish-brown, suffused, the central line whitish; the spiracular line is whitish, broadly margined with purplish-brown; the segmental divisions are pale yellowish-brown."

The food is Haloragis alata, a common herbaceous plant growing in swampy situations. The pupa is enclosed in a slight earth-covered cocoon.

{52}The perfect insect appears from September till March, and is sometimes common. It is generally found in wooded districts, but prefers rather open situations in the vicinity of streams, where its food-plant may often be seen. According to Mr. Meyrick, this insect is common in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania, and the Australian and New Zealand specimens are similar in appearance.

Genus 8.--ASTHENA.