Part 50

"Face roughly haired. Palpi moderate, second joint with long or very long spreading hairs beneath, terminal joint moderate or rather long, often concealed. Antennæ in male bi-pectinated. Thorax beneath more or less strongly clothed with long hairs. Fore-wings with vein 6 rising out of 9, 7 almost from angle of areole, 10 anastomosing moderately with 9, 11 anastomosing moderately or very shortly with 10, 12 free. Hind-wings normal."--(Meyrick.) (See Plate II., fig. 43, fore-wing of Notoreas brephos.)

This interesting genus, of which we have no less than fifteen species, comprises a number of gaily coloured little insects, chiefly inhabiting mountain regions. All the species are day-fliers, and most of them only appear during the hottest sunshine. Mr. Meyrick regards the genus Notoreas as most closely approaching to the ancestor of the family Hydriomenidæ.

NOTOREAS INSIGNIS, Butl.

(Aspilates insignis, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, 393, pl. xliii. 1. Pasithea insignis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 85. Notoreas insignis, ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate VIII., fig. 3 .)

This very striking species has been taken in the South Island at Castle Hill.

The expansion of the wings of the male is 1¼ inches, of the female 1 inch. The fore-wings of the male are dull yellowish-brown; in the middle of the wing there is an almost straight long white streak from the base to about three-fourths; there is another straight white streak parallel to the termen and almost touching the apex. The hind-wings are bright ochreous speckled with brown near the base. The female has the wings rather narrower than the male, and the ground colour is paler.

The perfect insect appears in January. Mr. Fereday's specimens, which formed the basis for the above figure and description, were captured on a bare mountain side at an elevation of about 4,000 feet. Mr. Hawthorne has directed my attention to the remarkable similarity existing between the markings on the fore-wings of this species and those on Xanthorhoe stinaria.

NOTOREAS ORPHNÆA, Meyr.

(Pasithea orphnæa, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 85. Notoreas orphnæa, ib. xviii. 184.)

This species was discovered by Mr. Meyrick in the South Island at Lake Wakatipu.

The expansion of the wings of the female is from 28 to 30 mm. (about 1¼ inches). "Fore-wings moderate, termen rounded; dark fuscous, mixed with yellowish and whitish, which tend to form alternate fasciæ; a discal dot and numerous curved irregularly dentate blackish lines, varying in strength and intensity; cilia barred with blackish and whitish. Hind-wings moderate, termen rounded; dark fuscous; a blackish discal dot; a cloudy whitish irroration forming a double curved fascia beyond middle, and a dentate subterminal line; cilia as in fore-wings.

"Imitative in colour of the dark lichen-grown rocks.

{72}"I took three specimens almost on the summit of Ben Lomond, Lake Wakatipu, at 5,600 feet, in January."--(Meyrick.)

NOTOREAS ISOLEUCA, Meyr.

(Notoreas isoleuca, Meyr., Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1897, 386.)

(Plate VIII., fig. 27.)

This little species has been taken in the South Island on the Craigieburn Range, near Castle Hill.

The expansion of the wings is about ¾ inch. All the wings are very dark blackish-brown; the fore-wings have five slender wavy white transverse lines. The hind-wings have three white transverse lines, the first near the base, the second near the middle, and the third, which is very slender and considerably broken, near the termen. The cilia of all the wings are white, barred with blackish-brown.

The perfect insect was captured in January, amongst a varied growth of stunted Alpine vegetation, at an elevation of about 5,600 feet.

NOTOREAS MECHANITIS, Meyr.

(Pasithea mechanitis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 86. Notoreas mechanitis, ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate VIII., figs. 9, 10, 11, varieties.)

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

The expansion of the wings is about 7/8 inch. All the wings are dark brownish-black. The fore-wings have an almost straight transverse yellow or white stripe near the base, edged with black towards the body; a rather wavy stripe at about one-third, edged with black towards the termen; then several irregular yellowish or white spots or marks, followed by a very distinct white stripe, somewhat projecting towards the termen near the middle; there is a broken fine yellow line near the termen. The hind-wings have a shaded white or yellow transverse line near the base, another near the middle, a third, considerably finer and often broken, near the termen. The cilia of all the wings are white shaded with grey near the base, but with no distinct bars.

The perfect insect appears from January till March, and flies with great activity in the hottest sunshine. It frequents grassy mountain sides at elevations ranging from 3,000 to 4,500 feet above the sea-level, and in these situations it is often very abundant.

NOTOREAS PARADELPHA, Meyr.

(Pasithea paradelpha, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 86. Notoreas paradelpha, ib. xviii. 184.)