Quail. — On Charagia virescens. 249 



The female is rather paler in colour, but otherwise does 

 not differ. 



From productaia, its nearest ally, this species differs in 

 its more pronounced markings and the deep indentation in 

 the posterior margin of the median band. While hardly 

 two specimens of prod aetata are alike, examples of this 

 species, except in depth of colouring, exhibit no variation. 



West Plains, Haldane, Clifton, and probably throughout 

 Southland. During February and March, at flowers of 

 ragwort (S. crucifolius) . 



Akt. XXII. — On Charagia virescens, Dbld. 

 By Ambrose Quail, F.E.S. 



■Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 18th November, 



1902.1 



Plate XXVIII. 



The species which forms the subject of this paper is the 

 largest New Zealand Hepialid, a very handsome species, 

 expanding in the imago stage from 3^ in. to nearly 6 in. It 

 has from time to time been described under the generic title 

 of either Charagia or Hepialus, the latter being adopted by 

 Mr. E. Meyrick and by Mr. G. V. Hudson. I, however, would 

 urge the acceptance of Walker's name Charagia for virescens 

 and its Australasian allies, not in the generic sense, but as a 

 subgenus of Hepialus. 



The larvae of true Hepialus, the type of which is humuli, 

 Linne, are subterranean root - feeders, perhaps sometimes 

 phytophagous, never lignivorous. The species are found in 

 Europe and Asia — excepting one, so far as I know un- 

 described and therefore doubtful, from Guatemala — and 

 nowhere else. 



Three subgenera of Hepialus occur elsewhere — Phyma- 

 topus, Wallgr. (Europe, North America) ; Sthenopis, Pack. 

 (North America) ; Cibyra, Walk. (Europe, Asia, South 

 America). 



The species which may be referred to Charagia are 

 wholly Australasian, the larvae lignivorous, feeding in vertical 

 burrows, no doubt an important item of their pabulum being 

 the sap of the tree. Geographical distribution, supported 

 by the habits of the larvae, warrants the title Charagia, 

 despite the fact that no definite structural difference can be 

 found between Charagia species and Hepialus species. It 

 appears to be a more natural indication of affinity to associate 



