Part 40

(Asaphodes siris, Hawth., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxix. 283.)

(Plate VII., fig. 16.)

This interesting little species was discovered near Wellington by Mr. Hawthorne.

The expansion of the wings is about 7/8 inch. The fore-wings are dull ochreous; there is a small curved brown patch near the base; then a pale band, followed by a very broad brown central band, paler in the middle; there is a very sharp projection on the outer edge of the central band, a conspicuous black dot in the centre of the wing, and a series of minute black dots on the termen. The hind-wings are pale ochreous, with a faint central transverse line.

The perfect insect appears in March.

Described and figured from the type specimen in Mr. Hawthorne's collection.

ASAPHODES MEGASPILATA, Walk.

(Larentia megaspilata, Walk. 1198. Cidaria assata, Feld. cxxxi. 4. Cidaria nehata, Feld. cxxxi. 6. Harpalyce megaspilata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 63. Probolæa megaspilata, Meyr., ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate VII., figs. 17, 18, and 19 ; figs. 19A and 20 , varieties.)

This species is very common, and generally distributed throughout the country.

The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The fore-wings are dull ochreous; there is a series of fine brown and reddish wavy transverse lines near the base, forming a rather broad basal band; then a pale central area containing a blackish dot above the middle; next, a very distinct band made up of several fine wavy grey lines, with a rounded projection near the middle; this is followed by numerous pale brown curved marks forming more or less broken transverse lines; there is always an oblique slaty patch below the apex, and a series of minute dots on the termen. The hind-wings are ochreous brown, slightly darker towards the base, with numerous indistinct wavy brown lines. The apex of the fore-wing is very pointed and slightly hooked downwards; the termen is bowed near the middle. The female is much duller and more uniform in colour than the male, and the antennæ are simple.

This species is very variable. Some male specimens have several more or less distinct white markings on the middle of the fore-wings; the transverse bands also differ considerably in both size and intensity. The females are not so variable; but in some specimens the bands on the fore-wings are almost absent, whilst others have the fore-wings rich brown, with a very conspicuous dark central band.

{56}The eggs when first deposited are pale yellow. They turn dark reddish-brown for some days before the young larva emerges.

The young larva is rather stout, dark brownish-black with numerous fine parallel ochreous lines; the whole body is covered with rather long bristles.

The perfect insect appears from October till April, and frequents forest, where it is generally very abundant. It is a difficult insect to identify on the wing, and in consequence is often captured under a misapprehension.

This species probably hibernates in the imago state during the winter months, as we may often observe specimens abroad on mild evenings, at that season.

ASAPHODES PARORA, Meyr.

(Harpalyce humeraria, Meyr. (nec Walk.), Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 64. Harpalyce parora, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvii. 63. Probolæa parora, ib. xviii. 184.)

"Male, female.--29-34 mm. (about 1¼ inches). Fore-wings moderate, apex acute, termen excavated on upper half, acutely projecting in middle; varying from light grey to light reddish-fuscous; about eighteen irregular dentate darker striæ, sometimes partially obsolete; first three, seventh and eighth, and eleventh to thirteenth usually more distinct and blackish; seventh and eighth closely approximated, forming a small blackish or reddish spot on dorsum, sometimes partially suffused with blackish; eleventh to thirteenth closely approximated, widely remote from eighth, parallel to termen; a blackish discal dot; sometimes a broad purplish-grey median band; sixteenth sometimes spotted with blackish towards costa; a terminal row of blackish dots. Hind-wings moderate, upper angle broadly projecting, termen shortly projecting in middle; varying from whitish-grey to very pale reddish-fuscous, faintly striated with darker.

"Very variable in colour, but always distinguishable by the peculiar form of wing.

"Wellington, Christchurch, Mount Hutt; common amongst bush, in January, February, April, and May; probably generally distributed; twenty specimens."--(Meyrick.)

I am unacquainted with this insect, but it would appear to closely resemble A. megaspilata.

ASAPHODES RUFESCENS, Butl.

(Larentia(?) rufescens, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 502. Eurydice cymosema, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 63. Eurydice rufescens, ib. xvii. 63. Homodotis rufescens, ib. xviii. 184.)

"Male, female.--25-29 mm. (about 1¼ inches). Fore-wings moderate, termen rather strongly sinuate; brown-whitish, sometimes more or less suffused with brown; numerous fine dark fuscous sinuate subdentate lines; three before middle and four beyond middle more blackish, generally partially suffused with brown, leaving a clear median space on costal half, in which is a transverse blackish discal dot; termen suffusedly greyish; a suffused oblique dark fuscous sub-apical streak. Hind-wings moderate, termen irregularly crenulate, somewhat projecting in middle; grey whitish; several subdentate grey lines, only distinct towards dorsum; a dark grey discal dot.

"Variable only in the degree of the brownish suffusion; in the markings of the fore-wings it agrees almost exactly with some forms of A. megaspilata, but, apart from structure, may be always known by the whitish hind-wings and rather larger size.

"Dunedin; ten specimens sent to Mr. Fereday by Capt. Hutton."--(Meyrick.)

I have only seen one specimen of this insect, in Mr. Fereday's collection, and it appeared to me to be identical with the somewhat variable female of A. megaspilata.