Part 61

This is a variable species. The fore-wings are often much clouded with rich brown, and in some specimens scarcely a trace of the original purplish colour remains; the central straight transverse line is often absent, and the other lines are frequently very indistinct, except on the costa; the dots on the hind-wings are also often absent, and occasionally specimens are met with in which all the wings are almost white.

The larva is rather elongate, dull yellowish-brown or greenish-brown; there is a very broad dark brown dorsal line, and several wavy lateral lines; the prolegs are black, the spiracles are also black; there is a slight hump on the posterior edge of each of the last six segments, the hump on the penultimate segment being considerably larger than the others. The length of the caterpillar when full grown is about 1 inch.

{90}It feeds on Pteris incisa, a beautiful pale green fern, attaining a height of four feet or more, and growing in open situations in the forest. This fern is especially abundant on old decaying logs situated amongst light brushwood. When disturbed these larvæ immediately drop to the ground and coil themselves up. In this situation they are very inconspicuous, as their colouring so closely resembles that of the faded fronds or stems of the fern.

The pupa is buried in the earth about two inches below the surface, the insect remaining in this state during the winter months.

The moth first appears about September, and continues in great abundance until the end of March or beginning of April. It frequents forest, and is noticed most commonly in the neighbourhood of its food-plant. There are probably several broods in the course of a year.

SESTRA FLEXATA, Walk.

(Cidaria flexata, Walk. 1421.)

(Plate IX., fig. 37.)

This species has occasionally occurred in the neighbourhood of Wellington. I have no records of its capture elsewhere, but expect it will be found to be generally distributed.

The expansion of the wings is about 1¼ inches. The fore-wings are bright orange-red; there is a very faint transverse line near the base, darker on the costa; a dark red oblong mark on the costa near the middle; and a faint transverse line beyond the middle, also darker on the costa. The hind-wings are bright ochreous-yellow, with the cilia orange.

This insect varies considerably in the intensity of its colouring. It has long been considered as merely a variety of Sestra humeraria, but as I have not observed any intermediate forms, although the two insects frequently occur together, I think it may be regarded for the present as a distinct species.

The perfect insect appears from October till December, and is found in the same localities as S. humeraria.

Genus 5.--GONOPHYLLA, Meyr.

"Face shortly rough-haired. Palpi moderate, arched, ascending, shortly rough-scaled, terminal joint short. Antennæ in male rather stout, pubescent. Coxæ and femora densely rough-haired beneath. Fore-wings with vein 6 from below 9, 7 from below angle of areole, 10 shortly touching 9, 11 separate, 12 free. Hind-wings normal."--(Meyrick.) (Plate II., figs. 63 and 64, neuration of Gonophylla nelsonaria.)

Of this genus we have but one species.

GONOPHYLLA NELSONARIA, Feld.

(Gonodontis (?) nelsonaria, Feld. cxxiii. 3. Gonodontis felix, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, 389, pl. xlii. 10. Phyllodoce nelsonaria, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 104. Gonophylla nelsonaria, ib. xviii. 184.)

(Plate X., figs. 3 and 4 varieties, 5 and 6 ditto.)

This handsome insect is common in the neighbourhood of Wellington. It has also occurred at Nelson and Dunedin, and is possibly generally distributed throughout the country.

The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings of the male are rich reddish-brown, mottled with darker; there are several small white marks on the costa; a black dot in the middle of the wing, and an almost straight white transverse line beyond the middle; outside this line the wing is speckled with greyish-white. The hind-wings are pale pinkish-brown; there is a black dot in the middle, and a curved blackish transverse line a little beyond the middle, being a continuation of the transverse line of the fore-wing; beyond this line, and on the dorsum, there are generally several small blackish markings. The female has the fore-wings {91}orange-red, speckled with darker; there is a doubly curved transverse line near the base, and an almost straight transverse line near the termen, both dark red; beyond the outer transverse line the wing is shaded with dark brown. The hind-wings are pale reddish-orange, with a curved blackish transverse line. In both sexes the apex of the fore-wing is projecting, and there is a strong angular projection on the termen a little before the middle; the termen of the hind-wing has several small projections.

The variation of this insect is considerable, especially in the male. The ground colour of the fore-wings often inclines to dull brown, or even dull yellowish-brown; the light and dark mottling, and the greyish markings near the termen are sometimes hardly visible; there is often a yellowish blotch opposite the large angle in the termen of the fore-wing. The hind-wings also are very variable in their colouring. All these varieties exist in the female in a less pronounced degree.

The perfect insect appears during the first week in February, and is generally over by the middle or end of March. The males are first noticed, the females not appearing until about a fortnight later. I have never taken this insect in the daytime, and in fact have never seen it except on the blossoms of the white rata, where, on fine evenings, it is often very abundant. As yet, however, Wellington is the only locality where I have met with it.

Genus 6.--DREPANODES, Gn.

"Face with cone of scales. Palpi moderate, triangularly scaled, porrected. Antennæ in male moderate, simple. Fore-wings with vein 6 from below 9, 7 from below angle of areole, 10 very shortly touching 9, 11 rising out of 10 before angle of areole, 12 free. Hind-wings normal. (Plate II., figs. 61 and 62 neuration of Drepanodes muriferata.)

A characteristic South American genus. The single New Zealand species is very similar to some South American forms."--(Meyrick.)

DREPANODES MURIFERATA, Walk.

(Gargaphia muriferata, Walk. 1635. Panagra ephyraria, Walk. 1761. ? Zanclognatha (?) cookaria, Feld. cxxiii. 26. Zanclognatha (?) haastiaria, Feld. cxxiii. 32. Drepanodes muriferata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 107.)

(Plate X., figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 varieties, 12 .)