LITMIR.BIZ

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of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are pale reddish-brown in the male, grey in the female; the markings are black and somewhat indistinct; the orbicular spot is nearly round, the claviform semicircular, the reniform large and not margined with black towards the termen; a line runs parallel with the termen, and emits on its outer side a tooth-like mark; inside this line the ground colouring of the wing is usually lighter. The hind-wings are grey, darker in the male; the cilia are white with a cloudy line. The head, thorax, and abdomen are brown in the male, grey in the female. The antennæ are slightly bipectinate in the male.

      This species varies much in the ground colouring of the fore-wings, especially in the male, where it ranges from pale pinkish-brown to dark brown. The wings of the female are frequently much clouded with dark grey.

      The larva is rather stout, with the anterior segments wrinkled. It varies much in colour; the dorsal surface is usually reddish-brown; the lateral line is broad and black; a series of subdorsal stripes are also black; the ventral surface is green. Sometimes these markings are hardly visible, and the larva is entirely green, whilst occasionally the brown colouring predominates.

      It is a sluggish caterpillar, and feeds on low plants (Plantago, &c.) during the whole of the spring and summer. It often frequents the luxuriant growth surrounding logs and stones which have long been left undisturbed.

      The pupa state is spent in the earth or amongst moss on fallen trees. When this stage occurs in the summer it is of short duration, but in the case of larvæ becoming full grown in the autumn, the regular emergence does not take place until the following spring.

      The moth may be observed on mild evenings nearly all the year round, but is commoner during the summer. It is an extremely abundant species, and is very often seen resting on tree trunks during the daytime, in which position the colouring of both sexes will be seen to be very protective.

      MELANCHRA AGORASTIS, Meyr.

      (Mamestra agorastis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 18.)

      (Plate V., fig. 30 ♀.)

      This species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Akaroa and Lake Guyon in the South Island.

      The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are rich reddish-brown, with dull yellowish-white markings; the claviform is small, grey, margined with dark reddish-brown; the orbicular is also rather small, grey, margined with dull white; the reniform is rather large, oblong, dark grey, margined rather broadly with yellowish-white. The hind-wings are dark brown. The antennæ of the male are shortly pectinated.

      This species very closely resembles a dark specimen of Melanchra pelistis so far as the female is concerned, which is the only sex I have had an opportunity of examining.

      The perfect insect appears in February and March. It is a scarce species.

      

      MELANCHRA PICTULA, White.

      (Dianthoecia pictula, White, Tayl. New Zeal., pl. i. 3. Meterana pictula, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, 386, pl. xlii. 1. Mamestra pictula, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 18.)

      (Plate IV., fig. 37 ♂.)

      Three specimens of this handsome species have occurred at Lake Coleridge in the South Island.

      The expansion of the wings is 1⅝ inches. The fore-wings are grey, very faintly tinged with pink, the markings are yellowish-green margined with black, the reniform is large, oval, clear white, with a minute white dot above and below it, there is a series of conspicuous black-edged yellow spots near the termen; the cilia are grey with a series of minute black and white dots at their base. The hind-wings are pale crimson shaded with dark grey near the termen, there is an obscure grey spot near the middle; the cilia are grey. The sides of the abdomen are bright crimson.

      The moth appears in March.

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

      MELANCHRA RHODOPLEURA, Meyr.

      (Mamestra rhodopleura, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 19.)

      (Plate IV., fig. 38.)

      This species has been taken in the North Island at Napier and Wellington.

      The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are greenish-grey, with the markings yellow margined with black; the hind-wings are dark grey with a terminal series of small yellow spots. The sides of the abdomen are bright crimson.

      This insect is very closely allied to Melanchra pictula, but the absence of the white reniform spot and the grey hind-wings, will at once distinguish it from that species.

      The perfect insect appears in May and June. It is decidedly rare.

      MELANCHRA MEROPE, n. sp.

      (Plate V., fig. 2.)

      A single specimen of this handsome insect was taken in the Wellington Botanical Gardens in October, 1887.

      The expansion of the wings is nearly two inches. The fore-wings are rich chocolate-brown, with yellow markings outlined in very deep brown; there is a rather broad broken transverse line near the base; a yellow blotch containing a slender curved brown line, on the dorsum at about one-fourth, forming the end of another extremely broken transverse line; the reniform is large, finely outlined with brown towards the base of the wing and half filled in with yellow towards the termen; between the reniform and the dorsum there is a jagged yellow transverse line; there is a terminal series of dark brown streaks and yellow spots, and the termen itself is scalloped; the cilia are dark brown. The hind-wings are pale brown, pinkish tinged; there is an obscure terminal line; the cilia are brownish-pink. The head and thorax are dark brown, the abdomen pale brown, with the crests darker.

      MELANCHRA PELISTIS, Meyr.

      (Mamestra pelistis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 20.)

      (Plate V., fig. 3 ♂, 4 ♀.)

      This species has occurred at Wellington and at Paikakariki, in the North Island. In the South Island it has been found at Akaroa and Lake Coleridge.

      The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are dull ochreous more or less shaded with dark reddish-brown, especially in the vicinity of the transverse lines; there are several obscure pale marks near the base; the orbicular is grey, margined towards the dorsum with a conspicuous white or dull yellow crescentic line; the claviform is small, round, dull grey, edged with darker; the reniform is large, darker grey, paler towards the costa, margined with white or dull yellow towards the base of the wing and termen; there are two obscure transverse lines, the outer one often being slightly toothed towards the termen; sometimes there is a terminal series of minute black marks; the cilia are brown. The hind-wings are dark grey, with the cilia white.

      This species varies considerably in the ground colouring of the fore-wings. In some specimens the wing is almost entirely rich reddish-brown, whilst in others this colouring is confined to the vicinity of the stigmata and transverse lines. Numerous intermediate varieties exist which seem to connect these two forms.

      The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March. It is very common in the Wellington Botanical Gardens on the white rata blossoms.

      MELANCHRA PROTEASTIS, Meyr.

      (Mamestra vitiosa, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 20 (nec Butl.). Mamestra proteastis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 45.)

      (Plate IV., fig. 40 ♂.)

      This insect is very common in the neighbourhood of Christchurch.

      The expansion of the wings is 1¼ inches. The fore-wings are dark chocolate-brown; there are several very obscure marks near the base, the orbicular and claviform spots are almost invisible, the reniform is pale brown with a minute dot above and below it towards the termen, followed by a pale, darker-margined, transverse line. The hind-wings are dull brownish-grey, with the cilia paler. The female is rather darker in colour than the male.

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