Part 78

The expansion of the wings is about 3 inches. The fore-wings are rather dull yellow, finely marbled with black; there are two conspicuous irregular black marks a little above the middle of the dorsum. The hind-wings are very dark purplish-brown with the cilia yellow, barred with brown. The head and thorax are dull yellow, speckled with black, and the abdomen is dark purplish-brown, barred with dull white, with a yellow tuft at the apex.

The perfect insect appears in October, November, and December. At present I am only aware of four specimens in collections, viz., two in the British Museum, taken at Auckland; one in Mr. Meyrick's collection, taken by Mr. H. B. Kirk on the Rimutaka Ranges, at an elevation of about 1,500 feet; and one kindly given to me by Mr. W. R. Morris, who took it at Wadestown, near Wellington. It is evidently a scarce species, but may be looked for in the forest districts of the North Island.

PORINA CERVINATA, Walk.

(Elhamma cervinata, Walk., Suppl. 595. Porina vexata, ib. 597. Pielus variolaris, Gn., Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 1. Porina fuliginea, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 488. Porina cervinata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 208.)

(Plate XIII., fig. 12 , fig. 18 variety of .)

This insect is fairly common, and generally distributed throughout the country. It is very abundant in the Manawatu district.

The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings vary from brownish-black to dull yellow; there are several small white spots near the base margined with black, and an obscure cloudy central streak, sometimes containing one or two minute irregular white marks; near the termen a broad, pale, wavy line runs from the costa to the dorsum, and contains several elongate dull white spots, margined with black; another series of smaller spots is often situated between this line and the termen; there is a terminal row of small black spots. The {134}hind-wings vary from pale greyish-brown to dull yellow. The cilia of all the wings are barred with dark brown.

This species is extremely variable. In many cases a large number of the spots is wanting. Mr. Meyrick states that the northern specimens are more yellow-ochreous, and more distinctly spotted than the southern ones. He adds that "the ochreous forms are easily distinguished from other species by the numerous spots and the absence of a continuous pale discal streak; the fuscous forms are sometimes very similar in colouring to P. despecta, but they are distinctly shorter-winged, and the compound discal spots appear to be a good character."

I have taken several specimens of what appears to be a variety of this species on the Tableland of Mount Arthur. It is much paler than the typical form, the markings much less distinct, and the central portions of the fore-wings very pale yellow (see fig. 18).

The moth appears in October. It is very much attracted by light.

PORINA DESPECTA, Walk.

(Hepialus despectus, Walk., Suppl. 594. Porina despecta, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 209.)

(Plate XIII., fig. 13 .)

This species has occurred in the South Island, at Christchurch, the Otira River and Lake Wakatipu.

The expansion of the wings is from 1½ to 1¾ inches. The fore-wings are dull brown with several irregular dull white markings near the centre of the wing. The hind-wings are also dull brown. In general appearance it closely resembles the last-mentioned species (P. cervinata), but may always be recognised by its longer and narrower wings, smaller body and antennæ, and absence of distinct markings near the termen.

The perfect insect appears in January, and is usually taken at light.

PORINA UMBRACULATA, Gn.

(Pielus umbraculatus, Gn., Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 1. Porina umbraculata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 209.)

(Plate XIII., fig. 14 .)

This species is probably common, and generally distributed throughout the country. It has been taken at Palmerston, North Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Invercargill and Stewart Island.

The expansion of the wings of the male is 1¾ inches, of the female 2¼ inches. The fore-wings are dull yellowish-brown; in the centre there is a broad longitudinal blackish streak, containing a conspicuous straight white stripe, occasionally broken into two or three very elongate spots; there are often several black dots along the termen. The hind-wings are dull ochreous, strongly tinged with pink towards the base.

This species varies considerably in the depth of the ground colour, and in the number of the black dots. A blackish shaded line, parallel to the termen, is also frequently present. The species may, however, be at once recognised by the straight, white, central stripe of the fore-wings.

The perfect insect appears from October till January, and is generally captured at light.

PORINA SIGNATA, Walk.

(Elhamma signata, Walk., Bomb. 1563. Porina novæ-zealandiæ, ib. 1573. Porina signata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 210.)

(Plate XIII., fig. 15 ; Plate III., fig. 6 larva.)

Apparently an abundant species in the North Island, having been taken {135}commonly at Napier, Palmerston and Wellington. I suspect it occurs in the South Island also, but I have no records of its capture there.

The expansion of the wings is from 2 to 2¼ inches. The fore-wings are dark brownish-ochreous, becoming dull white near the middle and on the termen; there is a shaded central, longitudinal, blackish band containing several white spots, forming an irregular stripe in the middle of the wing; there are also many irregular markings with dull white centres, chiefly situated near the veins, and often arranged in two or three rows parallel to the termen. All the markings are very variable, but the insect may be at once known by the irregular central white stripe. When alive the entire colouring is always strongly tinged with pink.