88 NEW ZEALAND MACRO-LEPIDOPTEBA. ■ 



HYBEENIA INDOCILIS, Walk. 



(Zermizinga indocilisaria, Walk. 1530. Hybernia boreophilaria, Gn., E. M. M. v. 61. Hybernia indocilis, 



Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 97.) 



(Plate IX., fig. 31 <?,32 ? .) 



This species has occurred plentifully in the neighbourhood of Christchurch. 



The expansion of the wings of the male is 14- inches, of the female J inch. All the wings 

 are pale grey, speckled with darker grey. The fore-wings have four obscure wavy transverse lines .• the 

 first near the base, the second and third near the middle, rather close together, and the fourth near the 

 termen, much interrupted; there is a series of black dots on the termen. The hind-wings have two 

 very faint transverse lines, and a series of black terminal dots; the termen of the hind-wings is 

 slightly scalloped. The cilia of all the wings are grey. The female has the wings extremely small and 

 quite useless for flight ; in colour and markings they resemble those of the male, except that the 

 transverse lines are black and sharply defined. 



The perfect insect appears from July to January. Mr. E. W. Fereday states that 

 the male is found plentifully at rest on the bare ground, amongst Leptospermum, and 

 the female on the stems. 



Described and figured from specimens kindly given to me by Mr. Fereday. 



Genus 3.— CHALASTEA, Walk. 



"Face with a slight cone of scales. Palpi rather long, porrected, roughly scaled. Antennae in 

 male bi-pectinated. Fore-wings with vein 6 from below 9, 7 from below angle of areole, 10 very 

 shortly touching 9, 11 free, 12 very shortly touching 11. Hind-wings normal." — (Meyrick.) (Plate 

 II., figs. 51 and 52.) 



This genus is represented by one species only. 



I have made a very careful examination of several denuded specimens of Chalastra 

 pelurgata, and I find that in the fore-wings veins 9, 10, and 11 rise almost from a point. 

 Vein 10 afterwards approaches closely to 9, but does not actually touch it, and con- 

 sequently does not form a true areole. Vein 12 also appears to me to be free. 



CHALASTEA PELUEGATA, Walk. 



(Chalastra pelunjata, Walk. 1430. Itama cinerascens, Feld. cxxxi. 1. Stratocleis streptophora, Meyr., 



Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 106.) 



(Plate IX., figs. 33 and 34 J varieties, 35 and 36 ? ditto; Plate III., fig. 21, larva.) 



This species is very abundant in the neighbourhood of Wellington. It has also 

 occurred at Palmerston North, and is probably common throughout the whole of the 

 North Island. In the South Island it has been taken in the Otira Gorge, and at Dunedin, 

 Otara and Invercargill. 



The expansion of the wings is about If inches. The fore-wings of the male vary from pale 

 orange-brown to dull yellowish-brown ; there is a doubly curved dark brown transverse line near the 

 base; a broad straight line a little before the middle ; a very strongly curved line a little beyond the 

 middle, and a less strongly curved line near the termen, often composed of a series of triangular 

 white ilnts edged with dark brown; all these lines are much stronger on the costa, and are sometimes 

 almost obliterated elsewhere. The hind-wings are pale yellow, with several brown-edged white spots 

 at the tornus, and an indistinct line parallel to the termen. The apex of the fore-wing is consider- 

 ably produced, and there is a large rounded projection on the termen. The hind-wings have several 

 small projections on the termen. In the female the fore-wings are pale yellow or orange, the trans- 

 verse lines and white spots are usually more conspicuous, and the projections on the termen of the 

 fore- and hind-wings larger. 



This is a very variable insect, especially in the male, some specimens of which sex 

 are very much clouded and dappled with dark brown both on the fore- and hind-wings. 



