Life Histories in the Heinalid Grouii of LciyidoiAcra. 417 



strong ventral spines of 7. The posterior extremity of 

 pupa has four spines. 



Only a small portion of the hind-wing cases show beyond 

 the fore-wing cases at the outer margin. 



Duration of ■pujicd stage alout 20 days. 



Imago described by E. Meyrick in "Trans. New Zealand 

 Institute," vol. xxii, with synonymy. I .have found this 

 an exceedingly variable species in respect to colour, maik- 

 ings, and structure of wing scales ; in its variabiUty there 

 is enough material for the formation of several species, 

 if only the necessary environmental conditions were to 

 happen. Bearing this in mind, it is interesting to note 

 that Mr. Meyrick says " the fuscous forms are sometimes 

 very similar in colouring to P. dcspecta, but they are 

 distinctly shorter winged, and the compound discal spots 

 appear to be a good persistent character." From material 

 received from South Island, and collected by myself iu 

 the North Island, I doubt the specific rank of P. dcspccla. 

 Having obtained ovse which hatched from a s|:ecimen 

 which I believed to be P. dcspccia (larva described 

 "Entom. Record," vol. xi, p. 340, under misprint nauie 

 Gorina despecta), I fail to observe any difference between 

 them and the larvae of undoubted Porina ccrvinata. 



2. Contribution to the life history of Porina urnlra- 

 culata, Gn. — 



Ocse: deposited Dec. 2, 1899, hatched Dec. 27, 1899 = 25 days. 

 „ Nov. 10, 1899, „ „ 6, 1899 = 2G days. 



Spherical, cream Avhen laid, black in a few hours, polished, 

 opaque ; indistinguishable from the ova? of Porina ccr- 

 mnata. 



Larva newly liatchcd. 



Rather larger and more robust than P. ccrvinata, 

 slightly greenish in colour. I examined several broods, 

 and always found the skin quite smooth, whereas P. ccr- 

 vinata has a growth of minute hairs all over the skin ; nor 

 could I distinguish on P. nridnxtcidata the subdorsal inter- 

 segmental thoracic hairs. In all other res^jects, the head, 

 antenna?, ocelli, maxillas, labium, palpi, spinneret, the 

 number and position of the thoracic and abdominal 

 tubercles, are identical with those of P. ccrvinata. I 



