14'2 THE ENTOMOLDGIST. 



This Arctid-Hypsid is very plentiful in New Zealand, and, 

 according to authors, is endemic ; but *' two closely allied species 

 belonging to the same genus are found in Australia." I believ, 

 no detailed life-history of either species has been published, an t 

 this paper may interest some entomologists to compare with ib^ 

 more or less allied Arctia caia, as set forth in Dr. Chapman a 

 elaborate paper (Entom. Eecord, vols, iv., v.)- 



Ovum, — During the month of March, 1900, I procured save a 

 batches of ova from wild females ; though some were laid loose, s 

 others were deposited in regular order, iu fact iu hexagonal ordei^. 

 Tue ovum is globular, a little flat on the attached surface; coloi> . 

 yellowish, aud the opaijue higlily polished surface is covered with 'i 

 very fine hexagoual pattern. Tiie ovum becomes transparent a ; 

 black a short time before hatching; it liatches in nine days ; the empH 

 egg-shell is eaten by the newly hatched larva. 



The young larvae eat the under side of the leaf in patchei ^ 

 they do not eat right through the leaf, but leave the thin u|)p » 

 epidermis. One larva ate right through the le.if while in its fil ' 

 skin, but it seems to be in the last skin preceding pupation wh( ^ 

 they eat through the leaf as a regular proceeding, ^ 



Larva (newly hatched). — Head dark brown, remaining segmer g 

 pale in colour ; the tubercles and setae soon become brown, but t] 

 spiracles remain pale-coloured. Viewed from above the segments ha . 

 a lumpy appearance, post-trapezoidal and supra-spiracular tubercl 

 being on conspicuous swellings. Tne whole larva-skin is covered wi* 

 minute hairs, and nearly all the setas of tubercles are spinulose ; t 

 structure of tlie setae is exactly the same in newly hatcbed and ad ■ 

 larvae. Head bas more than a dozen hairs on each lobe, six hairs o 

 clypeus ; the hairs of the head are smooth. Antenn® are broad au 

 base, narrow middle joint, wider outer joint terminated by three fleshy 

 processes aud a bristle. Spinneret short. Prothorax : the dorsal 

 plate has a rounded posterior, is dark in colour, and at either side of 

 the mid-dorsal line are two remote anterior setae aud two remote 

 posterior setae, which form a transverse diamond pattern ; below the 

 plate a subdorsal tubercle has two rims (?with pale smoorli hairs) ; a 

 mid-lateral tubercle bears two setae ; posterior to this is the spiracle ; 

 above the leg a large tubercle bears two set^e. Meso-tborax : a large 

 dorsal tubercle on either side of mid-dorsal line bears three setas 

 arranged triangule pattern ; a small subdorsal tubercle bears one pale 

 smooth seta ; an anterior lateral tubercle bears one seta ; the leg 

 tubercle bears two set®. Post-thorax : dorsal tubercles bear three 

 setae arranged in transverse line, otherwise the details are as meso- 

 tiinrax. All the thoracic legs have smooth hairs at the joints. 

 Abdomen: the anterior trapezoidal tubercles are close together, poft- 

 trapezoidals remote, one seta each ; the supra-spiracular tubercle bears 

 one seta, and is anterior to the post-trapezoidal and immediately abc ve 

 the spiracle ; the sul)spiracular tubercles are well below the spiracle, 

 remote from each other, and bear one seta each. Segments 1, 2 have 

 two subventral setae, these are on the base of abdominal feet of seg- 



