Watt. — Ova of some of the Lepidoptera of New Zealand. 69 



Nyctemera annulata Boisd. 



Leptosoma annulatum Boisd., Voy. de l'Astr., Ent., 5, p. 197. 

 Nyctemera doubledayi Walk., Cat. Lep. Brit. Mus., 2, p. 392. 

 N. annulata Butl., Cat, Lep. N.Z., p. 4 ; Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 22, p. 218 ; Fereday, List N.Z. Lep., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 30, p. 331 ; 

 Hudson, N.Z. Moths and Butterflies, p. 2, pi. 4, figs. 1, 2. 



One of our commonest moths in Wanganui during early and late 

 summer. It is to be seen throughout the day, but is most plentiful in 

 the early morning. 



Ovum. Plate I, fig. 7. 



Class . — Up right . 



Shape. — As seen from above, circular. Vertical section : Base flat ; sides 

 diverging to the equator, converging above ; top half of egg somewhat 

 pointed ; extreme top flat. 



Dimensions. — -Height, 0-70 mm.; diameter, 0-84 mm.; diameter of flat 

 top, 0-12 mm. 



Sculpture. — The shell is covered with minute elevations joined by ex- 

 ceedingly fine reticulations, forming five-, six-, and seven-sided figures, 

 all more or less irregular in shape. Diameter of cells, about 0-02 mm. 

 Mr. Ambrose Quail* says that he has come across batches of these ova 

 which were quite smooth. I have noticed the same thing myself, but 

 when the eggs were property illuminated and viewed with a high power 

 the cell-structure became quite plain. 



Micropyle. — Situated in rosette of nine elongated cells. The cells of the 

 network immediately surrounding the rosette are somewhat elongated in 

 a direction radial from the micropyle. Diameter of rosette, 0-06 mm. ; 

 diameter of micropyle, 0-01 mm. 



Shell. — Strong ; transparent ; shiny ; roughened and slightly pitted 

 within the cells when viewed with a high power. 



Colour. — -When fresh laid, pale yellow, intensifying in a day or so to deep 

 yellow. In thirteen days a small brown area appears to one side of the 

 micropyle, and in another day or so the whole egg changes to light grey, 

 and the larva is plainly distinguishable. The long black hairs of the larva 

 are very plain, and give the egg a most curious striated look. 



Note. — Laid in small batches of ten or more. Not very firmly attached 

 to food plant, and but slightly to each other, most often not touching at 

 all. In a few days after being laid the upper surface of the egg gets slightly 

 dented. One hundred and fifteen eggs obtained from one moth. Laid, 

 11th November ; hatched, 27th November = sixteen days. 



(Described, 17th November, 1912.) 



Melanchra lignana Walk. 



Hadena lignana Walk., Cat. Lep. Brit. Mus., 11, p. 543. Xylophasia 

 morosa Butl., Cist. Ent., 2, p. 543. Mamestra lignana Meyr., 

 Trans. N.Z. Inst., 19, p. 26 ; Fereday, List N.Z. Lep., Trans. 

 N.Z. Inst., 30, p. 335. Melanchra lignana Hudson, N.Z. Moths 

 and Butterflies, p. 26, pi. 5, fig. 19. 



This pretty moth is very common at Wanganui during the early summer. 

 * Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 34, p. 228. 



