Philpott. — Notes and Descriptions of N.Z. Lepidoptera. 337 



Art. XXXIII. — Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera. 



By Alfred Philpott, F.E.S., Assistant Entomologist, Cawthron Institute, 



Nelson. 



[Read before the Nelson Institute. 27th November, 1920 ; received by Editor, 31st 

 December, 1920 ; issued separately, 8th August, 1921.] 



Caradrinidae 

 Aletia gourlayi n. sp. 



<J. 35 mm. Head and thorax grey. Palpi ochreous-grey with black 

 hairs laterally. Antennae serrate, ciliate, 1. Abdomen ochreous-grey. 

 Legs ochreous - grey, tarsi obscurely banded with darker. Forewings, 

 costa straight, apex rectangular, termen bowed, waved, oblique ; bluish- 

 grey mixed with fuscous-brown ; lines whitish, obscure, indicated by 

 fuscous margins ; basal line very obscure, indicated chiefly by two blackish 

 dots on costa ; first line irregular, narrowly margined with fuscous which 

 becomes prominent on costa as two blackish dots ; orbicular circular, 

 narrowlv ringed with darker ; a rather prominent dentate curved brownish- 

 fuscous median line ; reniform obscurely ringed with whitish followed by 

 dark fuscous ; a pair of black dots on costa above reniform ; second line 

 faint, evenly serrate, irregularly curved ; subterminal irregularly serrate, 

 anteriorly dark -margined, sufTusedly on costa and, in a lesser degree, on 

 dorsum ; a terminal series of crescentic black dots : cilia ochreous mixed 

 with fuscous and white ; an obscure waved median line. Hindwings 

 fuscous : cilia whitish-ochreous. 



A neat and handsome species, distinguished from its allies by the 

 delicate silvery-grey ground-colour. 



Arthur's Pass. Several taken at flowers of Dracophyllum sp. in February 

 by Mr. E. S. Gourlay, of Christchurch. Type in the discoverer's collection. 



Melanchra fenwicki n. sp. 



cJ. 37 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax reddish-brown. Antennae reddish- 

 brown, bipectinated, apex simple, pectinations 3|. Abdomen greyish- 

 brown, lateral and anal tufts reddish-ochreous. Legs reddish-brown, tarsi 

 obscurely annulated with paler. Forewings moderate, costa slightly sinuate, 

 termen evenly rounded, oblique ; dark reddish-brown ; an obscure basal 

 fascia mixed with blackish ; stigmata ringed with ochreous-white, faintly 

 margined with black ; orbicular circular, well defined ; claviform sub- 

 circular, obscure ; reniform upright, regular ; subterminal line parallel with 

 termen, thin, slightly and irregularly serrate, ochreous-white, sufTusedly 

 margined anteriorly with brownish-black : cilia uniform reddish-brown. 

 Hindwings and cilia pale reddish-fuscous, tips of cilia whitish. 



Nearest to M. insignis (Walk.), but differing entirely in the form of the 

 subterminal line and the longer antenna] pectinations. 



Dunedin, in September. One specimen, taken by Mr. C. C. Fenwick, 

 after whom I have named the species, and in whose collection the type 

 remains. 



