Meyrick. — Lepidoptera from the Kennadec Islands. 67 



Art. X. — Lepidoptera from the Kermadec Islands. 



By E. Meyrick, B.A., F.R.S. 



Communicated by G. V. Hudson, F.E.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, Qth October, 1909.] 



In the following complete list of Lepidoptera taken, those species marked 

 with an asterisk were identified by Mr. Hudson and not seen by me ; of 

 the rest, examples were forwarded to me for identification. I will begin 

 by summarising the geographical relations of this portion of the fauna,, 

 and then give a systematic list of the species. 



The total number of species is 46. Of this number, 24 are common 

 insects of wide general distribution, which, owing to their numerical abund- 

 ance, powers of flight, and adaptation to food-plants of common occurrence, 

 have found their way to suitable stations throughput a more or less large 

 area of the warmer regions of the globe, though one or two of them may be 

 sometimes transported by man : these 24 may be disregarded. It may be 

 noticed that 14 of these have not yet occurred in New Zealand ; probably 

 some will still be found there as stragglers, but in general the New Zealand 

 climate is too temperate for them or their food-plants. 



Of the remaining 22 species, 4 occur also in New Zealand and Australia 

 (one of these, Monopis ethelella, being semi-domestic, and recently found 

 also in South Africa), 6 occur in New Zealand only, 1 in Australia only, 

 3 in othei' Pacific islands, and 8 are at present only known as endemic. 

 Since, however, the Lepidoptera of the Pacific islands are very little known, 

 it is highly likely that some at least of these species will be found here- 

 after amongst other groups of these islands. Of the 8 endemic species, 

 2 are probably to be regarded as of New Zealand type, 3 of Pacific, and 3 

 of Australian, but it is quite possible that the 3 last may prove also to have 

 Pacific representatives. In the present state of our knowledge I should 

 think that the above facts indicated that the islands have always been 

 considerably isolated, and have received their lepidopterous fauna by the 

 accidental immigration, across a wide stretch of sea, of specimens carried 

 by strong winds. 



In the following list of species the number of specimens taken is men- 

 tioned in each case ; the full geographical distribution of each species is 

 given ; and the food-plant of the larva is mentioned whenever known, as 

 it must always be taken into account as a factor in distribution : — 



Arctiad^. 



* Nyctemera annulata, Boisd. 



12 specimens. New Zealand. Larva on Senecio. 



* Utetheisa pulchella, L. 



10 specimens. Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Pacific islands. New 

 Zealand. Larva on grasses, &c. 



Caradrinid.^. 

 Leucania loreyi, Dup. 



3 specimens. Southern Europe, southern Asia, Africa, Australia, Fiji. 

 3*— Trans. 



