218 Transactions. — Zoology. 



18. Nijct. annulata, Boisd. 



{Lcptosoma annnlatum, Boisd., " Voy. Astr.," v., 197, pi. v., 9; Dbld., 

 " Dieff. N. Zeal.," ii., 284 : Nyctemera doubledayi, Walk., " Bomb.," 

 392: Nyctemera annulata, Meyr., " Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W.," 1886, 

 760.) 



<? $ . 38-42mm. Head black. Thorax black ; margin of 

 collar and a stripe on each side of back, meeting behind, orange. 

 Abdomen orange, base of segments broadly black. Forewings 

 blackish ; an orange basal dot beneath costa ; an irregular 

 ochreous-white fascia from costa beyond middle towards anal 

 angle, but not nearly reaching it, more or less widely inter- 

 rupted in middle, and cut by two or three black veins, some- 

 times reduced to two small spots, or wholly obsolete : cilia 

 black. Hindwings blackish ; a roundish ochreous-white spot 

 towards costa beyond middle, sometimes obsolete : cilia 

 black. 



Common throughout North and South Islands. Larva 

 black ; hairs black ; spots large, indigo-blue ; dorsal and 

 lateral lines narrow, irregular, reddish-orange ; head black ; 

 feeds on various species of Senecio, sometimes entirely strip- 

 ping the plants. The imago has the curious habit of soaring 

 in the early morning sunshine, soon after sumise, in calm fine 

 weather. I have seen them in numbers flying round the tops 

 of trees at a height of over 100ft. 



This concludes the above-mentioned groups. I add now 

 descriptions of three species recently received from Mr. G. V. 

 Hudson, of Wellington. 



BOAEMIAD^. 



Boarmia astrajna, n. sp. 



(? ? . 33-35mm. Head and thorax pale ochreous, with a 

 slender dark fuscous central longitudinal streak. Palpi pale 

 ochreous, suffusedly mixed with dark fuscous. Antennae pale 

 greyish-ochreous spotted with dark fuscous. Abdomen pale 

 ochreous. L^^s pale ochreous, anterior and middle pair 

 banded with dark fuscous. Forewings with costa moderately 

 arched, hindmargin crenulate ; pale ochreous, sometimes 

 brownish-tinged, thinly sprinkled with dark fuscous and 

 black ; a short irregular black longitudinal streak from middle 

 of base ; lines double, dark fuscous, strongly and acutely 

 dentate ; first from i of costa to ^ of inner margin, angulated 

 outwards above middle ; second from f of costa to f of inner 

 margin, sinuate inwards on lower half; subterminal parallel 

 to hindmargin, interrupted in middle ; traces of a dark fus- 

 cous transverse discal mark in middle, connected wdth costa 

 by an indistinct dentate line ; a hindmarginal row of black 

 dots: cilia pale ochreous, base mixed with dark fuscous. 



