NEW ZEALAND 



MACEO-LEPIDOPTEEA 



I. THE CARADRININA. 



The Caradrinina may be distinguished by the following characters : — 



" The maxillary palpi are obsolete, the fore-wings have vein lb simple or hardly furcate, lc absent, 

 and 5 approximated to 4 towards base. The hind-wings are furnished with a frenulum, vein lc is 

 absent, and 8 is connected or anastomosing with cell." (See Plate II., rigs. 1 to 12 and 14 to 18.) 



" Imago with the fore-wings more or less elongateTtriangular, termen not very oblique ; hind- 

 wines broad-ovate. 



"Larva sometimes very hairy, usually with 10 prole^s, those on segments 7 and 8 sometimes 

 absent. (Plate IIP, figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 16.) Pupa with segments 9 to 11 free ; not protruded 

 from cocoon in emergence." — (Meyrick.) 



So far as New Zealand is concerned, the Caradrinina may be said to comprise that 

 group of the Lepidoptera formerly known as the Noctuina, with the addition of the family 

 Arctiadce. Its members are chiefly nocturnal fliers ; the body is usually stout, the fore- 

 wings are narrow, and (except in the Arctiadce) mostly dull-coloured, with three very 

 characteristic spots. 1. The orbicular stigma, a round spot situated near the middle of 

 the wing; '3. The claviform stigma usually somewhat club-shaped and situated imme- 

 diately below the orbicular; and 3. The reniform stigma, a kidney-shaped marking 

 situated beyond the orbicular. The claviform is very frequently absent, and the orbicular 

 less frequently so, but the reniform is an almost constant character throughout the entire 

 group, with the exception of the Arciiadcv. 



There are three families of the Caradrinina represented in New Zealand, viz. : — 

 1. Akctiad.e. 2. Caradeinid.e. 3. Plusiad.e. 



Family 1.— ARCTIADCE. 



The Arctiadce may be characterised as follows : — 



" Eyes smooth. Tongue developed. Posterior tibiae with all spurs present. Hind-wings with 

 veins (5 and 7 connate or stalked (rarely approximated or coincident), S anastomosing with cell nearly 

 or quite from base to middle or beyond." — (Meyrick.) (See Plate IP, figs. 1, 2, and 4, 5.) 



This interesting family, although generally distributed throughout the world, is very 

 poorly represented in New Zealand. Unlike most of the Caradrinina., many of the 

 included species are day fliers and gaily coloured. One of these, Nyctemera annulata, is 

 probably one of the most familiar of New Zealand insects, whilst the four remaining 

 representatives of the family are but seldom seen. To British entomologists the name of 



1 



