302 INSECTS 



distributed. Though so common, it does not seem to do a great deal 

 of harm, or to very seriously affect the fruiting powers of the currant 

 bushes. 



Family ARCTIIDJE 



Utetheisa pulchella, Linn. 



This moth was first observed by Mr Hudson in 1877, in the 

 Wainuiomata Valley near Wellington, and subsequently at Petone; 

 it was recorded as Deopeia pulchella. Meyrick considered it as probably 

 only an occasional immigrant. Later it was taken in considerable 

 numbers on the flowers of the white rata, and others in the tussock- 

 grass, by Mr O'Connor, at Titahi Bay. Mr Howes informs me that 

 Mr Hamilton took it at Dunedin, and that Mr Morris recorded a 

 swarm on the river bed of the Waitaki, near Oamaru. The moth 

 usually appears in February. 



Family GEOMETRIDJE 

 Phrissogonus laticostatus, Walk. 



This species was first taken by Mr Hudson in 1905 at Nelson and 

 again at Wangamii. In 1914 it was collected at Otaki, by my son 

 Dr J. A. Thomson. Mr Howes informs me that he collected it 

 amongst seaside scrub at Auckland. Mr Meyrick states that it is 

 "very common in Australia, whence it has been recently introduced 

 by artificial means." 



Paragyrtis inostentata, Walk. (Adeixts inostentatd) 

 Mr A. Philpott records this moth as common (in 1915-16) on 

 Seaward moss and other coastal swamps near Invercargill, and adds : 

 "The restricted distribution in New Zealand of this common Aus- 

 tralian species would seem to point to its recent introduction through 

 the medium of shipping at the port of Bluff." 



Mr Howes met with this species commonly in a swamp at Wai- 

 marino in the North Island. 



Ophideres maturna, Linn. Banana Moth 



Probably introduced from Australia with bananas. Mr Hudson 

 reports them as first seen in 1906 when a specimen was taken at Makara 

 Bay, near Wellington. Another was captured by Mr Howes in Dunedin 

 in 1907. 



Ophideres fullonica, Hubn. 



Mr Meyrick reports one doubtful specimen of this Australian 

 species, which was taken at Christchurch. "In any case," he adds, 

 "it is probably only a stray immigrant." 



