ON A NEW PIELUS FROM THE BLUE MOUNTAINS; 



By a. Sidney Olliff, F.E.S., and Henry Prince. 



(Flptte xxxix). 



In this paper we have drawn up a description of the finely 

 coloured Hepialid which was exhibited at the June meeting of this 

 Society. The specimen was found at rest on a tree stump at Lawson, 

 in the Blue Mountains, at an elevation of 2,400 feet above the sea 

 level, and had evidently only just emerged from the pupa as the 

 empty case was seen projecting from its subterranean burrow at 

 no great distance. The specimen appears to be a typical male 

 Pielus belonging to a very distinct new species. We propose to 

 call it P. imjjerialis. 



HEPIALID^. 



Pielus imperialis, sp.n. 



(J Antennae reddish brown ; palpi bright red. Head and thorax 

 brick-red, the latter brownish in front ; abdomen tinged with 

 . purple. Forewing bright brick-red^ inclining to brownish red near 

 the hind-margin, with a longitudinal series of large bright silver 

 spots on the disc, extending from near the base to just beyond the 

 extremity of the discoidal cell, and an oblique band of narrow 

 elongate silvery spots, near and parallel to the hind-margin, which 

 does not attain the extremity of the wing ; the discal band 

 composed of four irregular markings, the one nearest the base very 

 elongate and bi-constricted, the second somewhat oblique, the last 

 about twice as long as the third which is situated below the internal 

 apical angle of the cell ; the hind-marginal band interrupted and 

 somewhat incurved in the middle, the markings closely contiguous. 

 Hind wing dull brownish red, brighter along the veins, tinged 

 with bright purple at the base. Underside dull brownish red, all 

 the wings thickly pubescent and purplish near the base. Expanse 

 of wings 135 mm. ; length of body 52 mm. 



Lawson, New South Wales (2,400 feet) ; in December, 1886. 



