I.— THE CARADRINTNA. 35 



PLUSIA CHALCITES, Esp. 



(Plusia erhsoma, Dbld., Dieff. N. Z. 285; Butl., Voy. Ereb., pi. x. 1, 2. P. argentifera, Gn., Noct. vi. 352. 



P. eriosoma, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 3G.) 



(Plate VI., fig. 3 <? .) 



This insect is probably generally distributed in the North Island, and in the northern 

 portions of the South Island. It has occurred very commonly at Taranaki, Napier, and 

 Nelson, but in Wellington it is rather a scarce species. 



The expansion of the wings is about li inches. The fore-wings are dark grey with bronzy 

 reflections ; there is a pale band on the termen, and several of the transverse lines are indicated by 

 paler colouring, the two basal ones being often silvery ; the orbicular is partly outlined with golden- 

 white, and the claviform is wholly filled in with the same colour. The hind-wings are yellowish-grey, 

 darker towards the termen. 



Mr. Meyriek mentions a variety in which the characteristic golden-white discal 

 spots on the fore-wings are absent. I have not yet had the good fortune to see this 

 form, and think it must be a rare one. 



The larva has twelve legs ; it is much attenuated towards the head ; its colour is 

 pale green, darker on the back ; there is a number of wavy white lines and dots on 

 the larva, as well as a few isolated black dots and hairs. It feeds on geraniums, mint, 

 bean, Scotch thistle, and many other garden plants and weeds. Its original food 

 appears to have been the "potato plant" (Solatium aviculare) ; but now it only 

 occurs on this shrub in uncultivated localities, where there is no European vegetation. 



The pupa is enclosed in a cocoon of white silk, generally situated between two dead 

 leaves on or near the ground. 



The moth first appears about September, and continues abundant until the end of 

 summer. In Nelson I have seen it in great profusion, hovering over various flowers 

 in the evening, at which time it also occasionally endeavours to gain access to bee- 

 hives. In the same locality I have met with the young larva' in the middle of winter, 

 so that there is probably a continuous succession of broods all the year through in 

 favourable situations. 



This insect is found in Australia, Pacific Islands, Africa, South Asia, South Europe, 

 and occasionally in the South of England.* 



Genus 3.— DASYPODIA, Gn. 



"Eyes naked. Palpi with terminal joint very slender. Antenna- in male filiform, hardly 

 pubescent. Thorax and abdomen not crested. Tarsi in male very much thickened, with dense 

 scales (teste Guenee)." — (Meyriek.) 



We have one species. 



DASYPODIA SELENOPHORA, Gn. 



(Dasypodia selenophora, Gn., Noct. vii. 175; Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 38.) 



(Plate VI., fig. 4.) 



This large and very handsome insect has occurred at Auckland, Napier, and 



Wellington in the North Island, and at Nelson, Richmond, and Christchurch, in the 



South Island. 



The expansion of the wings is about 3 inches. The fore-wings are very rich deep brown; there 

 are two faint jagged transverse lines near the base, a straight shaded line at about one-third ; the 

 reniform is very large, crescentic, steely blue, finely margined first with black, then with orange, and 

 * Meyriek, 'Handbook of British Lepidoptera,' 159. 



