Part 6

This species has occurred in the South Island at Lake Coleridge and Rakaia.

The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are dark reddish-brown, there is a short black median streak from the base, margined above with ochreous-white; the space between this and the costa is marked with suffused ochreous-whitish lines; in one specimen {24}a blackish suffusion extending from base of the dorsum obliquely to orbicular and reniform, the space between this and the subterminal line is suffused with pale whitish-ochreous; the orbicular and reniform are blackish-fuscous, black-margined, and connected by a blackish-fuscous spot; the orbicular is large, roundish; the reniform with its outer edge white; the claviform is small, suboval, blackish-fuscous; the transverse lines are indistinct; the subterminal is obscurely paler or hardly traceable, with two somewhat acute dentations below the middle; the terminal space is mixed with blackish-fuscous; the cilia are reddish-fuscous mixed with blackish. The hind-wings are fuscous-grey; the cilia grey-whitish, with a grey line.

The perfect insect appears in December, February, and March.

Description compiled from that of Mr. Meyrick. Figured by Mr. W. B. Hudson from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.

MELANCHRA ALCYONE, n. sp.

(Plate V., fig. 14 [M].)

During the autumn of 1894 several specimens of this interesting species were captured in the Wellington Botanical Gardens by Mr. A. Norris.

The expansion of the wings of the [M] is 1-5/8 inches, of the [F] 1½ inches. The fore-wings of the male are _warm brown, darker towards the base_; there is a wavy, white-edged, black, transverse line at about one-fifth, followed by a round black spot; _the costa is yellowish, with four pairs of short oblique black marks_; the orbicular is large, oval, oblique, pale yellowish-brown slightly darker in the middle; the claviform is small, obscure, and brownish-black; the reniform is black, outlined with dull white; _there is a series of very acute, dull white, tooth-like terminal markings_, and the termen itself is slightly scalloped; the cilia are dark brown. The hind-wings are grey with a series of small dark marks on the termen; the cilia are reddish-ochreous. The head and anterior portion of the thorax are reddish-ochreous; the rest of the thorax is rich brown, and there is a conspicuous black transverse line between the pale and dark colouring; the abdomen is reddish-ochreous with the crests reddish-brown. The female is much darker and duller than the male, the markings are much less distinct, there are several additional jagged transverse lines, and the white markings of the male are indistinctly indicated in drab.

The perfect insect appears in March.

MELANCHRA DOTATA, Walk.

(_Dasypolia dotata_, Walk., Noct. 522. _Mamestra dotata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 24.)

(Plate V., fig. 16.)

This species has occurred at Nelson.

The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are very dark brownish-black; there are several obscure black marks near the base; _the orbicular is large, oblong, finely margined with black, the claviform is triangular, also finely margined with black, both orbicular and claviform are surrounded by a conspicuous black shading; the reniform is large ear-shaped, white towards the termen and dark brown towards the base of the wing_, the white portion is traversed by a curved brownish line; there is a curved transverse line near the termen, the space immediately inside this line being paler than the rest of the wing; there is a terminal series of obscure pale dots. The hind-wings are dark brown, paler towards the base; the cilia are also brown.

A single specimen of this insect was reared from a pupa found at Wakapuaka, near Nelson. Mr. Fereday also has a specimen, but without note of locality.

MELANCHRA ASTEROPE, n. sp.

(Plate V., fig. 15.)

A single specimen of this insect was taken at light on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, in January 1891, at about 3,600 feet above the sea-level.

The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are dull brown _with a pale area on the dorsum near the base, and a very broad pale band just before the termen_; there is a broken {25}black-edged transverse line near the base, and a fainter transverse line at about one-third; the orbicular is oblong, the claviform crescentic, _and the reniform oblong, white, and very conspicuous_, all are strongly outlined in black; there is a shaded transverse line on each side of the broad pale terminal band; the termen is dark brown; the cilia are brown, and the veins are marked in black. The hind-wings are pale grey; there is a rather conspicuous dark crescent in the middle, and two shaded transverse lines; the cilia are grey.

This species is evidently allied to _Melanchra dotata_.

MELANCHRA STIPATA, Walk.

(_Xylina stipata_, Walk., Suppl. 753. _Mamestra stipata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 25.)

(Plate V., fig. 17 [F].)

This fine species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and in the South Island at Christchurch, and West Plains, near Invercargill.

The expansion of the wings is 1¾ inches. The fore-wings are brown; there is a shaded, pale yellowish-brown, longitudinal line on the costa, _and an extensive irregular patch of the same colour from about two-thirds to within a short distance of the termen; the orbicular is large, oval, oblique, pale yellowish-brown; the claviform is semicircular, broadly margined with black_; the reniform is dull grey, with one large and one small white mark towards the termen; the termen is broadly shaded with dark blackish-brown, except near the apex of the wing and a little below the middle. The hind-wings are dark brownish-grey, with the cilia reddish-brown. The female is rather paler with a slightly olive tinge. Both sexes vary a little in the depth of their colouring.

The perfect insect appears from October till May. It is common at Christchurch, but rather scarce in Wellington.

MELANCHRA OCTANS, n. sp.

(Plate V., fig. 1.)

This distinctly marked little species was discovered by Mr. Philpott, at Mount Linton, near Invercargill.

The expansion of the wings is 1¾ inches. The fore-wings are pale ochreous-brown; there are several wavy brown transverse lines near the base, two lines at about one-third, _then a large_ V-_shaped white mark extending almost from the costa and touching the dorsum_; the orbicular and reniform spots are situated in the middle of this mark, the orbicular is very finely outlined in brown, and contains a black dot towards the base of the wing; the reniform is large, dark brown, _surrounded by a large triangular dark brown shading_; there is an obscure subterminal line; the termen is slightly indented. The hind-wings are dark brown, paler towards the termen.

This species may be immediately recognised by the large, white, V-shaped markings on the fore-wings.

The perfect insect appears in March.

MELANCHRA RUBESCENS, Butl.

(_Xylophasia rubescens_, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 489. _Mamestra rubescens_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 25.)

(Plate V., fig. 18 [M].)

This insect is apparently a mountain species. It has been taken at Mount Arthur, Castle Hill, and Lake Wakatipu.

The expansion of the wings is about 1-5/8 inches. The fore-wings are pale orange-brown, the orbicular and claviform spots are faintly margined with reddish-brown; the reniform is dark brown and very conspicuous; there are two large reddish-brown markings on the termen. The hind-wings are dark grey tinged with red. The cilia of all the wings are reddish-brown.

This species varies slightly in the shape and extent of the markings on the termen {26}of the fore-wings, which occasionally cause the pale ground colour to form tooth-like projections. It also varies a little in the intensity of the other markings, and in the depth of the ground colour.

The moth appears in January and February, and is attracted by light. I have taken it in some abundance on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, at an altitude of 3,500 feet above the sea-level.

MELANCHRA LIGNANA, Walk.

(_Hadena lignana_, Walk., Noct. 758. ? _Xylophasia morosa_, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 543. _Mamestra lignana_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 26.)

(Plate V., fig. 19 [M].)

This pretty species is very common at Wellington in the North Island. In the South Island it has occurred at Mount Hutt.

The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. _The fore-wings are greyish-cream-colour_, slightly paler on the costa. There are two very distinct blackish transverse marks on the costa near the base, and two others at about one-third; _the stigmata are all sharply and finely outlined in black; the orbicular is oval, the claviform triangular, the reniform large and oblong, containing a smaller black-edged mark in its centre, and a blackish blotch towards its lower margin_; beyond the reniform there is a faint jagged transverse line; there are two dark patches on the termen, _the pale ground colour forming two sharp tooth-like markings slightly below the middle_; the termen itself is slightly indented, and the cilia are dark brown. The hind-wings are dark grey with the cilia white.

Some specimens of this insect are slightly darker than others, but in other respects there are no important variations.

The perfect insect appears from October till April. It comes freely to sugar and to light, and is often taken at rest on trees and fences in the daytime.

MELANCHRA COELENO, n. sp.

(Plate IV., fig. 39.)

This interesting species has been taken at Wellington by Messrs. Hawthorne and Norris.

The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are very pale brownish-cream-colour; _there is a large irregular dark brown patch on the dorsum from about one-eighth to about two-thirds, another smaller patch at the tornus, and another still smaller on the termen a little above the middle_; there are two very obscure transverse lines; the orbicular is finely outlined in brown; the reniform contains two very dark brown dots, and is rather strongly outlined in brown towards the base. The hind-wings are dark grey. The cilia of all the wings are grey with a paler line.

The perfect insect appears in November.

MELANCHRA USTISTRIGA, Walk.

(_Xylina ustistriga_, Walk., Noct. 630. _X. lignisecta_, ib., 631. _Mamestra ustistriga_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 26.)

(Plate V., fig. 20 [M], 20A [F].)

This beautiful insect has occurred commonly at Wellington in the North Island, and in the South Island, at Blenheim, Christchurch, and Lake Coleridge.

The expansion of the wings is about 1¾ inches. _The fore-wings, head, and thorax are pinkish-grey in the male, pale grey in female; the orbicular spot is rather large, nearly round, finely outlined in black; the reniform is very large, margined with black towards the base of the wing, and usually touching the orbicular spot or connected with it by a short black line_; the claviform is triangular, also black margined; there is a cloudy oblique line below the reniform, and an irregular line between the reniform and the termen. The hind-wings and abdomen are pale pinkish-grey in male, dull grey in female; the cilia are white with a cloudy line.

{27}This insect varies slightly in size, especially in the female. The larva is dull greyish-brown, with the subdorsal and lateral lines darker. It feeds on honeysuckle during the summer months.

The pupa state is spent in the earth.

The moth is very irregular in its appearance. I have captured specimens in January, February, March, April, July and September. It appears to pass the winter in both the pupa and imago states. It is very partial to light, and in consequence often enters houses.

MELANCHRA PRIONISTIS, Meyr.

(_Mamestra prionistis_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 27.)

(Plate V., fig. 21 [M].)

This species is common at Wellington in the North Island. In the South Island it has been taken at Rakaia.

The expansion of the wings of the male is 1-5/8 inches, of the female 1¾ inches. _The fore-wings are rather pale yellowish-brown, with numerous irregular longitudinal grey streaks_; there are several very obscure jagged transverse lines, and the stigmata are almost invisible; _a very broad blackish longitudinal band is situated on the dorsum_. The hind-wings are brownish-grey; the cilia are grey tipped with white. The head and thorax are grey tinged with yellowish-brown; there is a conspicuous blackish streak on each side of the thorax.

In this species the dorsal band is often considerably paler, but otherwise there is no variation.

The perfect insect appears from November till April. It comes freely to sugar, and occasionally to light. It is also sometimes met with at rest on trees in the daytime, where its colouring is protective. I have noticed that this moth is much commoner in some years than in others.

MELANCHRA PHRICIAS, Meyr.

(_Mamestra temperata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 27 (nee Walk.). _Mamestra phricias_, Meyr., ib., xx. 46.)

(Plate V., fig. 22.)

This species has occurred in the Manawatu district in the North Island. In the South Island it has been found at Christchurch and Lake Coleridge.

The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. _The fore-wings are pale silvery-grey_; there are several obscure blackish marks near the base, _two dark, shaded, transverse bands, one just before the orbicular, and one between the orbicular and the reniform_; the orbicular is round, nearly white, with a faint greyish ring in the middle; the reniform is large, oblong, margined first with white and then with black; there is a series of black crescentic marks near the termen, and another smaller series on the termen; the cilia are dark grey. The hind-wings are dull brownish-grey, the cilia are grey tipped with white. The terminal joint of the palpi is elongated.

The perfect insect has been taken in December, February, March and June, and is attracted by light. It is rather a rare species.

MELANCHRA CUCULLINA, Gn.

(_Xylocampa cucullina_, Gn., Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 40. Agrotis mitis, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, 383, pl. xlii. 5. _Mamestra cucullina_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 28.)

(Plate V., fig. 23 [M].)

This species has occurred at Mount Arthur, and at Rakaia.

The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. _The fore-wings are bluish-grey, speckled and dappled with blackish-brown_; there is a pale transverse line near the base, partially edged with black; the orbicular is round, containing a blackish dot in the middle; the reniform is elongate-oval, including a {28}dark spot in its lower portion; the space surrounding the stigmata is clouded with dark blackish-brown; there is a terminal series of small blackish crescentic marks, and the cilia are dark grey. The hind-wings are brownish-grey; the cilia are also grey tipped with white.

This species is evidently closely allied to _M. phricias, but may at present be distinguished by its darker and more bluish colouring_.

The perfect insect appears in January and March. I have taken it at light on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, at 3,600 feet above the sea-level.

Genus 8.--ERANA, Walk.

"Eyes hairy. Antennæ in male filiform, simple, with scattered single cilia. Thorax with anterior and posterior crests. Abdomen with strong dorsal crests towards base. Fore-wings in male beneath with a very long dense tuft of scent-giving hairs from base; transverse vein absent, 7 and 8 out of 9, 10 free. Hind-wings with transverse vein absent, costa in male broadly dilated."--(Meyrick.) (Plate II., fig. 9 fore-wing, 10 hind-wing.)[16]

We have one species representing this interesting genus.

ERANA GRAMINOSA, Walk.

(_Erana graminosa_, Walk., Noct. 605. _E. vigens_, ib., Suppl. 743. _Erana graminosa_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 28.)

(Plate V., fig. 24 [M], 25 [F]; Plate III., fig. 8, larva.)

This beautiful species appears to be fairly common in many forests in the North Island. It has occurred at Wanganui, Masterton, Palmerston, and Wellington. In the South Island it has been taken by Mr. Philpott, at West Plains, near Invercargill.

The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are bright green; there are three paler green transverse lines, edged with black; one near the base of the wing, one just beyond the reniform spot, and one close to the termen; this last is inwardly much clouded with dark olive-green; the reniform spot is pale green edged with black. The hind-wings are very broad, pinkish-brown, tinged with green on the termen. In the female the hind-wings are considerably narrower, and are not so strongly tinged with green as in the male.

Some specimens appear to be rather darker than others, but beyond this I have not detected any variation.

The eggs are rather large, globular, flattened above and beneath, and pale green in colour.

The larva feeds on the mahoe (_Melicytus ramiflorus_).

When first excluded from the egg it is about 1/8 inch long, and of a very pale green colour. After the first moult the caterpillar is bright green, darker towards the head, with white dorsal, subdorsal, and lateral lines; there are eight rows of shining black spots, each spot emitting a number of stout black bristles; the head is yellowish-brown with a few black dots. After the last moult the larva has a totally different appearance. It is pale green marbled with darker green; there is often a whitish lateral line, and an obscure series of diagonal green stripes on the sides of each segment. Sometimes the whole larva has a pinkish-brown tinge, and there are often two or three rows of pale spots. In fact the full-grown caterpillar is very variable in its colouring.

These larvæ hibernate during the winter months, often secreting themselves in the burrows which have been made in the stems of the mahoe by various species of wood-boring insects. They come abroad about the end of August, and are full grown early in October. The pupa state is spent in the earth.

The moth appears in December, January, February, March and April. It is often {29}found at rest on tree-trunks in the daytime, where its beautiful green colouring causes it to resemble, in the closest possible manner, a patch of moss. Mr. Hawthorne tells me that he has frequently found dead specimens in this situation.

This insect is, I think, commoner at slight elevations above the sea-level, forest ranges of from 500 to 1,000 feet in height being apparently the most favourable localities for the species. The appearance of the moth over so long a period would seem to indicate that there are two generations in a year, but I have never found full-grown larvæ in the middle of summer. There is, however, no doubt that the insect passes the winter in the larval condition. This species is often met with very late in the season, frequenting the few remaining blossoms of the white rata until the first or second week in April. Mr. Meyrick thus alludes to the scented tuft of hairs in the male insect: "The large tuft of the fore-wings is the source of a very strong vanilla-like perfume, which scents the box in which the specimens are contained for more than a week after their death; the scent is excited more strongly, even in the dead specimen, by stirring the tuft with a pin."[17]

I can fully testify to the accuracy of this interesting observation.

Sub-family 3.--_CARADRINIDES_.

"Eyes naked, not ciliated."

Genus 9.--BITYLA, Walk.

"Antennæ in male filiform, shortly ciliated. Thorax not crested, collar sub-erect. Abdomen not crested."--(Meyrick).

Of this genus we have two species in New Zealand.

BITYLA DEFIGURATA, Walk.

(_Xylina defigurata_, Walk., Suppl. 756. _Bityla thoracica_, ib. 869. _Bityla defigurata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 31.)

(Plate V., fig. 33.)

This species has been taken at Palmerston in the North Island, and at Blenheim, Christchurch, Lake Coleridge, Dunedin, and West Plains near Invercargill, in the South Island.

The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. _The fore-wings are uniform dull bronzy-brown and very glossy_; there are one or two faint indications of transverse lines. The hind-wings are dark grey, also glossy.

The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March, and is attracted by light. The single specimen I possess in my collection was taken in July, evidently hibernating. It is a rare species.

BITYLA SERICEA, Butl.

(_Bityla sericea_, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, 387, pl. xlii. 12; Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 31.)

(Plate V., fig. 34.)

This rather striking insect has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Christchurch and Lake Guyon in the South Island.

{30}The expansion of the wings is about 1¾ inches. _The fore-wings are very dark greyish-black, darker near the termen, and very glossy_; there are several isolated white scales towards the base of the wing, and a very obscure transverse line at about three-fourths; the cilia are cream colour and very conspicuous. The hind-wings are dark grey and glossy; _the cilia are pale grey, very broadly tipped with cream colour_.

The perfect insect appears in February and March, and is attracted by light. It is a rather scarce species.

Genus 10.--AGROTIS, Ochs.

Head rough-scaled; eyes naked. Antennæ in [M] ciliated, often acutely bidentate or bipectinated, with apex simple. Thorax usually with more or less developed anterior and posterior crests. Abdomen not crested. Tibiæ all spinose.

"A very large genus occurring all over the world but much more plentifully in the northern hemisphere. The larvæ are very indiscriminate in their tastes, often feeding on almost any low plant; they are frequently subterranean in habit, but usually emerge by night to feed."--(Meyrick.)

This genus is represented in New Zealand by five species, one of which is an insect of almost world-wide distribution.

AGROTIS YPSILON, Rott.

(_Noctua ypsilon_, Rott. Agrotis suffusa, Hb. _Agrotis ypsilon_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 32.)

(Plate V., fig. 35 [M], 36 [F].)

This handsome insect is probably very common throughout the country. It has occurred abundantly at Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Ashburton and Invercargill.

The expansion of the wings is 2 inches. The fore-wings are pale brown, shaded with rich brown on the costa and termen; the reniform is large and black, with a conspicuous longitudinal streak pointing towards the termen; the orbicular is round, centred with black; the claviform is elongate; there is a dark shaded line below the reniform, followed by a double wavy transverse black line. The hind-wings are grey with pinkish reflections; they are shaded with darker grey towards the termen; the cilia are white, the head and thorax are dark brown, the abdomen grey. In the female the brown costal shading extends across the central portions of the fore-wings to the dorsum, and the general colouring is also darker.

There are no noteworthy variations in either sex. The larva feeds on the roots of grasses. Its head is pale brown mottled with darker brown, and its body is lead-colour with darker dorsal and lateral lines. It remains underground during the daytime, coming abroad at night to feed.

The pupa is red-brown with a very sharp, spine-like extremity. It is concealed in the earth.[18]

The perfect insect appears in January, February and March. It is often very abundant at various blossoms in the evening, and comes readily to sugar. It is an insect of almost universal distribution, occurring in Australia, China, India, Africa, Europe, and North and South America.[19]

{31}AGROTIS ADMIRATIONIS, Gn.

(_Agrotis admirationis_, Gn. (nec Meyrick), Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 38.)