Howes. — Life-history of some New Zealand Moths. 97 



Art. XV. — Notes on the Life-history of some New Zealand Moths. 



By W. George Howes, F.E.S., F.L.S. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 4th November, 1913.] 



Morrisonia merope. 



Larva taken in the Woodkaugh Gardens, Dunedin, on tke 16th March, 

 1912. A single specimen taken, crawling on the trunk of a ribbonwood- 

 tree (Plagianthns). 



Length, about 40 mm. ; probably full-fed, being " deep " (about 8 mm.) 

 for its length. The caterpillar was of robust appearance. 



General colour, dull olive-green, marked with black. Face with horny 

 plate, marked with small black dots. A dorsal line of ochreous dots of 

 fair size, a series of lateral oblique lines and small dots. Spiracles plainly 

 indicated by black dots. Underside pale ochreous. Prolegs on segments 

 6, 7, 8, 9, the pair on the last segment well marked with a black patch over 

 rear. 



The larva pupated after a few days, probably being slightly hurried by 

 want of suitable food. The moth emerged on the 9th June, 1912. The 

 seven imagos I have taken were taken at " sugar " in December, January, 

 and March, so that the time of emergence of this specimen does not seem 

 quite natural. 



Declana egregia. 



Larvae taken at Half -moon Bay, Stewart Island, in March, 1913, feeding 

 on Panax. 



As mentioned in accompanying paper, " Notes on the Entomology of 

 Stewart Island," the larvae were in abundance— so numerous that they had 

 stripped the stems of all foliage, and were reduced to gnawing buds and 

 terminals. The larvae varied considerably in size from full-grown specimens 

 slightly over an inch in length to small fry of about a quarter of an inch. 

 The peculiar shape of the larvae is well described by Mr. Hudson in his 

 description of that of Declana atronivea ; in fact, the description is so 

 exact that it answers equally well for egregia, the only noticeable point 

 being that the egregia caterpillars had all a pink tinge. 



The colouring and shape were strongly protective, especially so when 

 the caterpillar held by the anal claspers and stretched its body out from 

 the trunk. 



Unfortunately, the caterpillars (most of which were sent to the 

 Dominion Museum) did not survive. I had the good fortune to obtain one 

 fine specimen, which emerged on the 18th March, 1913. 



Leucania nullifera. 



Larvae generally distributed. 



Hudson, in " New Zealand Moths and Butterflies," says the larvae of 

 this moth live in the spear-grass, " a single one in each clump." In several 

 localities I have cut out the clumps of Aciphylla, and on each occasion 

 found the caterpillars gregarious. At Riversdale, on the Waimea Plains, one 

 clump had quite a number of individuals feeding within it, and they varied 

 considerably in size. The larger larvae were from 2 in. to 2| in., while the 

 smaller were from f in. to 1 in. Apparently last year's full-grown caterpillars 



4 — Trans. 



