264 LARENTIA. By L. B. Peüut. 



Aiistralian species (chiefly New Zealand) and caii now only be characterized as reseinbling the pectinate sections 

 of Xanthorhoe and Ortholitha except in the discocellulars of the hindwing. whicli are liere ahvays definitely 

 biangulate. Probably X. magtiificata and 0. latifusaia should. in strict logic. be trailsferred to Larentia. Init 

 their taxononiy i-equires further elncidation and it is right to add that Janse has nierged the South Afiican 

 Lnrenfia and Ortholitha under tlie latter naine. while Meyrick united all three genera (and otheis) as Xanthorhoe. 



oi-ari'i. L. oraria Philpott (26 e). A very simple sjjeeie.s, rather sniall, elongate-winged. the forewing glossy. 



yellcjwish. almost unicolorous, with a black cell-dot and at times faint traces of postniedian marking. the hind- 

 wing paler. nnmarked, beneath with a cell-dot; forewing beneath with smoky siiffusion in and beyond the cell, 

 reaching forward at least to subcostal and its 5tli branch. New Zealand; near Invercargill; also on Stewart 

 Island. Mountain forms (Ben Loniond and especially Mount Earnslaw ) are saifl to be still longer-winged. The 

 $ is still luidescribed and is suspected of being seniiapterons. 



scricodes. L. sericodes Meyr. (26 f). Extreniely like a niuch overgrown oraria. Tone slightly niore brownish. very 



strongly glossy. niarkings (except the cell-dots) .still niore obsolete, suffnsion beneath rather less extended for- 

 Kpr-ai'-. ward. Mount Earnslaw, ca. 3500 feet. — ab. apicata /lov.. mentioned and figured by Hfdson (Butterflies and 

 Moths of New Zealand. ]). 121). has cloudy greyish a|)ical spots. 



iiiiiicrirctti. L. imperfecta Philpott (26 e). Very distinct in its brighter colour and the characteristic costal niarkings 



of the fore« hig and in the spotted fringe. In the 5 f 'i^ dark niarkings are faintly continued across the wings. 

 West Plains. near Invercargill (type); also near Dunedin. 



'.ronens. 



L. exoriens Prout (26 g). Variable, but generally distinguishable from aegrot.a by the strong reddish 

 suffusion at the costal niargin of the forewing and the less strongly spotted fringes; hindwing beneath not heavily 

 inarked. Pectinations a little longer. Lake Watatipn district; (Jlenorchy (type); also from Clyde. Nevis and 

 Kinloch. 



•ilh<ilhini/:i. L. albalineata Philpott (= albilineata Meyr.) (26 g). Recognizable on the upperside by the form of the 



lines which outline the niedif^n area, but particularly well characterized by the underside; forewing dark-suft'u.sed 

 excepting the costa and apex. hindwing with 2 broad. very conspicuous brown streaks. which rnn longitudinally 

 along the folds and are edged v.ith wliite. Stewart Fsland. discovered on Talile Hill, at about 2000 feet. 



riei/nit'i. L. aegrota Btlr. (26 g). A common and very variable species, distributed from the Wellington district 



to Stewart Island. Both wings beneath pale at costa. the hindwing broadly so; in well-raarked examples, such 

 as we figure the intricate pattern of this wing is very characteristic. According to Hudson it "frequents rather 

 open sitnatlons in the neighbouiliood of forest" and is often found among Discaiia toumatou. 



'liinii/sias. L, dionysias Meyr. ( = dionysius Hiids.) (26 h). Probably, as Meykick suggests, nearly related to aegrota, 



but (at least in the type) with the 2nd radial of the hindwing arising only a very little behind the end of the 

 cell-vein, while in aegrota the typical Larentia venation is very pronounced. Markings of ujjperside stronger 

 and more complete than in aegrota, the postmedian much less sinuous than in exoriens, the hindwing with a 

 distinct cell-dot. Underside with the principal niarkings broader and niore definite than in the allies. Old Man 

 Range, Central Otago. 4000 feet. 



'■'■'■'''• L. recta Phil polt (26 h). Said to resemble dionysia-s. but the only specimen knowii to nie is extreniely 



like some exoriens. though with a few less pectinations. discocellulars Inangulate; lines of forewing mostly 

 straightish, but the postniedian, which is distinctive. has a bilobed projection in the middle and is b o r d e r e d 

 distally by a distinct white stripe. Hindwing beneath darker and more reddish than above. Ida Valley, 

 Central Otago (loc. typ.), also about Dunedin and Invercargill. 



'"'"'"''■• L. adonis Hudson (26 h). An elegant species, easily known from the other green Larentia species by its 



bright colour and the black, white-edged markings. Distributed in South Island from Mount Arthur to Inver- 

 cargill, but not common; it frec[uents mountain forests. 1000 to 4000 feet. 



bmta. L. beata ßntl. (— benedicta Meyr.) (2() h). Locally common at Wellington, Tararua Mountains, etc.. 



and at several localities (Greymouth. Christchurch. Dunedin, Invercargill. etc.) in South Island and not very 

 variable. Attention may be called to the conspicuous. generally strigifoi'in cell-mark of the forewing, nearly 

 always plaeed on a white space, which may be cpüte small, but can be so extended as to form an uninterruptcd 

 central stripe of the median l)and. Egg green, highly polished, the hexagonal depressions very shallow. The 

 larva, which has been reared on watercress, is about '/g inch long when fuU-giown; subcvlindrical. flattened 

 above, the lateral ridge very {prominent and rugose; pinkish brown (rarely dull green). with V-shaped blackish 

 dorsal markings and an interrupted blackish lateral line. It is very sluggish by day, feeding at night. The motli 

 is beaiitifully protected when resting on moss-covered tree-trunks. 



