Part 51

(Plate VIII., figs. 12, 13, 14, varieties.)

In the South Island this insect has occurred on Mount Arthur, and on Ben Lomond, Lake Wakatipu, at elevations of from 3,600 to 5,000 feet.

The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The species is said to be distinguished from the preceding "by the barred cilia, the absence of any clear yellow colouring, the less prominent angulation of the post-median line and the more elongate wings." (Meyrick.)

The perfect insect appears in December, January and February. In habits it exactly resembles Notoreas mechanitis.

NOTOREAS PERORNATA, Walk.

(Fidonia perornata, Walk. 1672. Pasithea perornata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 87. Notoreas perornata, ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate VIII., figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, varieties.)

This very pretty insect has occurred at Palmerston and Wellington in the North Island, and at Kekerangu, Mount Arthur, Lake Coleridge, Mount Hutt and Lake Wakatipu, in the South Island.

{73}The expansion of the wings is about ¾ inch. The fore-wings are dark brownish-black, with five transverse white or orange-yellow lines, which vary considerably both in width and colour in different specimens; the two basal lines are almost straight, the rest are wavy, the last but one has, near the middle, a strong projection towards the termen. The hind-wings are bright orange, with three or four more or less broken black transverse lines. The termen is narrowly bordered with black; the cilia of all the wings are white, more or less distinctly barred with blackish-brown.

The perfect insect appears in February, March and April, flying very actively in the hot afternoon sunshine. It is extremely abundant on the coast hills in the neighbourhood of Wellington. It also occurs commonly at Kekerangu, and is occasionally found on mountains as high as from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea-level. I have observed that all the Wellington specimens have the transverse lines on the fore-wings narrow and mostly white; those from Mount Arthur broad and white, those from Kekerangu and Lake Wakatipu broad and orange-yellow. The last-named forms approximate most closely to some of the very yellow varieties of Notoreas paradelpha.

NOTOREAS STRATEGICA, Meyr.

(Pasithea strategica, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 87. Notoreas strategica, ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate VIII., fig. 15.)

A single specimen of this conspicuous species was taken in the South Island at Lake Guyon, by Mr. W. T. L. Travers.

The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are dull yellowish-brown, becoming blackish-brown near the base; there are two broad white transverse lines near the base, the outermost slightly curved, then a dull orange shading, followed by a very broad, outwardly bent, white transverse band, edged with black towards the base; between this band and the termen there is a fine wavy white transverse line. The hind-wings are dull yellowish-brown near the base, becoming blackish towards the termen; there is a small cream-coloured area near the base, then two rather broad, slightly irregular, cream-coloured bands, and a rather fine wavy white line near the termen. The cilia of all the wings are white, barred with blackish-brown.

The perfect insect appears in January.

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

NOTOREAS CALLICRENA, Meyr.

(Pasithea callicrena Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 87. Notoreas callicrena, ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate VIII., fig. 16.)

A single specimen of this very handsome species was captured by Mr. Fereday in the South Island, high on the mountains at the head of Lake Wakatipu.

The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are deep orange-brown, shaded with black near the base and in the vicinity of the three cream-coloured transverse bands; the first of these bands is situated near the base, the second at about one-third, and the third, which is rather wavy, at about two-thirds; there is a fine wavy white line close to the termen. The hind-wings are dark grey, with two broad cream-coloured bands, the first near the base and the second near the middle; there is a slender wavy line near the termen. The cilia of all the wings are cream-coloured, barred with brownish-black.

The perfect insect appears in January, and evidently frequents high mountains.

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

{74}NOTOREAS NIPHOCRENA, Meyr.

(Pasithea niphocrena, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 88. Notoreas niphocrena, ib. xviii. 184.)

This species was discovered by Mr. Meyrick in the South Island, at Arthur's Pass, West Coast Road.

"The expansion of the wings of the female is from 24 to 25 mm. (1 inch). Fore-wings moderate, termen rounded; rather dark fuscous, mixed and obscurely striated with orange; a curved white subdentate line before one-fourth, anteriorly blackish-margined; a similar white line beyond one-fourth, posteriorly blackish-margined; space between these sometimes suffused with orange; a slender irregularly dentate white fascia beyond middle, rather strongly angulated in middle, anteriorly blackish-margined, posteriorly closely followed by a dentate orange line; a dentate orange line near termen, dilated on costa. Hind-wings moderate, termen rounded; orange, lighter anteriorly; basal half dark fuscous mixed with orange, its outer edge irregularly curved; a dentate subterminal fascia and narrow terminal fascia dark fuscous, sometimes obscure.