II.— THE NOTODONTINA. 39 



This family is very extensively represented in New Zealand by the following fifteen 

 genera : — 



1. Tatosoma. 5. Elvia. 9. Venusia. 13. Dasyukis. 



2. Pakadetis. 6. Hymuomena. 10. Asaphodes. 14. Notobbas. 



3. Chloeoclystis. 7. Euchceca. 11. Xanthoiuioe. 15. Bamana. 



4. Pheixogonus. 8. Asthena. 12. Lythiua. 



Genus POTATO SOMA, Butl. 



" Face smooth. Palpi long, straight, porrectod, shortly rough-scaled, terminal joint short. 

 Antennas in male simple, stout, gradually dilated from base to near apex, apex attenuated. Abdomen 

 in male very excessively elongate. Hind-wings in male deeply excised near dorsum, dorsal lobe folded 

 into a long pocket, fringed with hairs. Fore-wings with vein 6 rising out of 9, 7 from or above angle 

 of areole, 10 anastomosing moderately with 9, 11 anastomosing moderately with 10, 12 free. Hind- 

 wings with veins 6 and 7 separate, 8 free, united with 7 before transverse vein by an oblique bar. 



" This singular genus is a remnant of a widely diffused, but now fragmentary group, 

 to which belong also LobopJwra (Europe), Rhopalodes (South America), Sauris (Ceylon), 

 and Remodes (Borneo.) In all, the hind-wings of the male are peculiarly modified, 

 usually much diminished in size, and with the dorsum formed into a distinct lobe, the 

 object of which is unknown. A similar structure is found only in one or two genera 

 of Tortricina. RJwpalodes is the nearest genus to this, but vein 5 is said to be obsolete, 

 and the lobe does not form a pocket ; in Sauris the areole is simple, and the antennae 

 thickly scaled ; in Remodes the areole is also simple, the antennas flattened and scaled, 

 and the dorsum is furnished with three superposed lobular folds, so that it represents 

 the extreme of development in this direction." — (Meyrick.) 



It will be seen on reference to Plate IP, tigs. 22 and 23, which represent the structure 

 of the hind-wings of the male and female of Tatosoma agrionata respectively, that in 

 the male veins 1 and 2 are absent, having no doubt become absorbed during the formation 

 of the characteristic sexual lobe ; vein 8 is connected with the margin of the cell by an 

 oblique bar, this being probably due to an extension of the wing in the costal region, com- 

 pensating for the loss in the dorsal region due to the above-mentioned lobe. In the hind- 

 wings of the female the normal neuration of the family is almost preserved, the only peculiar 

 feature consisting in the origin of veins 6 and 7 from a point on the margin of the cell. 



Of this remarkable genus we have three species, and I think it quite possible that 

 others may reward the industry of future collectors. 



TATOSOMA LESTEVATA, Walk. 



(Gidaria lestevata, Walk. 1416. Sauris ranata, Peld. exxxi. 11. Tatosoma hstemta, Meyr., Trans. 



N. Z. Inst. xvi. 67.) 



(Plate VI., fig. 25 3 ■) 



This beautiful species has occurred at Wainuiomata, near Wellington, in the North 



Island, and at Nelson and Christchurch, in the South Island. 



The expansion of the wings is 1£ inches. The fore-wings are bright-green ; there arc four wavy, 

 black, transverse lines; the first near the base, the second a little before the middle, the third considerably 

 beyond the middle, and the fourth near the termen ; the terminal line is very faint towards the tornus, 

 and it emits three or four very sharp, longitudinal, black, tooth-like marks ; all the transverse lines are 

 much stronger where they cross the principal veins. The hind-wings are very pale yellowish-green. 



The perfect insect appears in February. At present I believe the species is repre- 

 sented by four specimens only— two in Mr. Fereday's collection and two in my own. 



