29 



DESCEIPTIONS OF SOME 



Rare New South Australian Lepidoptera. 



By J. a. O. Teppee, P.L.S., Corr. Memb. 



[Read April 4, 1882.] 



Smerinthus (?) Wayii, spec. nov. 



This rather large moth was captured in the evening o£ 

 February 15th, 1882. Being attracted by the light of the lamp, 

 it entered my room, making its presence known by the very 

 loud surring noise of its darting, erratic flight, peculiar to 

 Sphingidce. 



Examining it closely one finds that it unites affinities belong- 

 ing to widely different families — thus, the form of its body 

 conical, smooth, and ending in a point ; the small head and 

 eyes ; large, hairy, and jointed palpi : and the moderately-long 

 spiral tongue ; also the general form of the anterior wings, 

 together with its habit of flight, relate it to genus Smerinthus, 

 of the Sphingidce; while the long thin antennae (though in 

 other respects like those of Smei^inthics) , smd the great width 

 (and length) of the posterior wings place it in relation to the 

 family of Oecneria, some of which, like O. monacha, likewise 

 show the peculiar form of the abdomen. Pinally, the colora- 

 tion of this moth is that common to Geometridcd, from which it 

 differs in most other points, notable the very heavy body. 



Only one specimen has as yet been seen, thus nothing is 

 known about its habits or transformation. 



Considering, under the circumstances stated, that this moth 

 is new, I beg leave to name it after His Honor the Chief 

 Justice, and distinguished President of the Royal Society of 

 South Australia, who so assiduously promotes and patronises 

 science in our province. 



Desceiption. — Head small, same colour as body, &c. Eyes 

 not large, blackish, with silvery lustre. AntennsB thin, pointed, 

 about half the length of body ; silvery white ; fringe bristles 

 minute, greyish-ochre. Wings strong, proportionally wide ; 

 when at rest extended, but obliquely elevated ; colour light 

 ochreous-brown, irregularly sprinkled with minute blackish 

 dots ; a straight, narrow brown bar extends from near the 

 extremity of anterior wings diagonally to near the middle of 

 interior margin, thence extending across the posterior wings to 

 the middle of their interior margin ; another, less distinct, 

 curved band, concave towards base, crosses anterior wings 



