Part 45

The perfect insect appears from October till March, and frequents forest. It is often dislodged from dense undergrowth during the daytime, and may be found in the evening on the blossoms of the white rata. It is very much commoner in some years than in others; but occasionally several seasons will pass without our noticing a single specimen of this attractive insect. The colouring is extremely protective when the moth is resting on moss-covered tree trunks.

XANTHORHOE ADONIS, n. sp.

(Plate VII., fig. 49 .)

This extremely beautiful insect has occurred in the South Island at Castle Hill, and at Lake Wakatipu.

The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. The fore-wings are vivid green; there is a broad, wavy, black transverse line near the base; a somewhat broken line at about one-third, much broader on the costa and edged with white towards the base; a very conspicuous broad black line at two-thirds, shaded towards the base, and sharply edged with white towards the termen; between this line and the termen there are several black marks, forming another extremely broken transverse line. The hind-wings are pale orange-brown, with a faint grey central band.

The perfect insect appears in January. It frequents forests at elevations of from 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the sea-level, but it is not common.

Mr. Meyrick regards this insect as identical with Xanthorhoe beata.

XANTHORHOE CHLORIAS, Meyr.

(Larentia chlorias, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 80.)

This species was discovered in the South Island at Castle Hill, by Mr. Meyrick.

"The expansion of the wings of the male is 30 mm. (about 1¼ inches). Fore-wings moderate, termen hardly rounded; bright yellow; base of costa dark fuscous-purple; a curved row of three very small dark purple-fuscous spots about one-fourth, and another of four spots before middle, costal spots larger; a {64}triangular purple blotch on costa before apex, reaching half across wing, anteriorly margined by a strongly sinuate bluish-black streak; a row of three dark purple-fuscous dots from apex of this to dorsum, and a subterminal row of six similar dots; cilia yellow. Hind-wings moderate, termen rounded; rather paler than fore-wings, with two curved posterior rows of cloudy purple-fuscous dots.

"A very beautiful and conspicuous species.

"I took one fine specimen in a wooded gully near Castle Hill, at 3,100 feet, in January."--(Meyrick.)

XANTHORHOE ÆGROTA, Butl.

(Selidosema ægrota, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 499. Larentia ægrota, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 80.)

(Plate VII., fig. 37 .)

This rather inconspicuous species has occurred at Palmerston and Kaitoke in the North Island; and at Christchurch, Dunedin, and Lake Wakatipu in the South Island. It has also been taken at Stewart Island.

The expansion of the wings is about 1-1/8 inches. The fore-wings are dull ochreous-brown; there are several indistinct wavy blackish lines near the base, a black dot above the middle, then three or four more lines, followed by a cloudy shading on the termen. The hind-wings are pale ochreous-brown. The cilia of all the wings are dull ochreous-brown barred with black.

The perfect insect appears from November till March and is sometimes very common. It usually frequents rather open situations in the neighbourhood of forest, and I have often observed it amongst the bushes of "Wild Irishman" (Discaria toumatou.) It is extremely abundant on the banks of the River Dart, at the head of Lake Wakatipu.

XANTHORHOE LUCIDATA, Walk.

(Larentia lucidata, Walk. 1200. Coremia plurimata, ib. 1321. Panagra venipunctata, ib. 1666. Larentia psamathodes, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 81. Larentia lucidata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvii. 64.)

(Plate VII., fig. 38 .)

This rather dull-coloured species has occurred at Napier, Palmerston, and Wellington in the North Island, and at Dunedin in the South Island.

The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. The fore-wings are dull yellowish-brown; there are numerous fine, almost straight blackish lines parallel to the termen, forming four more or less distinct transverse bands; the first at the base rather broad, the second a little before the middle, the third beyond the middle, and the fourth just before the termen; there is a black dot a little above the middle of the wing, and the veins are marked with white dots between the transverse bands. The hind-wings are pale brownish-ochreous; there are numerous, rather faint, wavy, blackish, transverse lines, which are much more distinct near the dorsum. There is a series of distinct black dots on the termen of both fore- and hind-wings.

The perfect insect appears during the winter months from March till August. It is rather a scarce species, but on mild evenings it is sometimes taken at light.

XANTHORHOE HELIAS, Meyr.

(Larentia helias, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 81.)

(Plate VII., fig. 40.)