30 NEW ZEALAND MACEO-LEPIDOPTEEA. 



The expansion of the wings is about If inches. The fore-wings are very dark greyish-black, 

 darker near the termen, and very glossy ; there are several isolated white scales towards the base of the 

 wing, and a very obscure transverse line at about three-fourths ; the cilia are cream colour and very 

 conspicuous. The hind-wings are dark grey and glossy ; the cilia are pale grey, very broadly tipped 

 with cream colour. 



The perfect insect appears in February and March, and is attracted by light. It is a 

 rather scarce species. 



Genus 10. AGEOTIS, Ochs. 



Head rough-scaled ; eyes naked. Antennae in <? ciliated, often acutely bidentate or bipectinated, 

 with apex simple. Thorax usually with more or less developed anterior and posterior crests. 

 Abdomen not crested. Tibae all spinose. 



"A very large genus occurring all over the world but much more plentifully in the 

 northern hemisphere. The larvae are very indiscriminate in their tastes, often feeding on 

 almost any low plant ; they are frequently subterranean in habit, but usually emerge by 

 night to feed." (Meyrick.) 



This genus is represented in New Zealand by five species, one of which is an insect of 

 almost world-wide distribution. 



AGEOTIS YPSILON, Eott. 



(Noctua ypsilon, Eott. Agrotis suffusa, Hb. Agrotis ypsilon, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 32.) 



(Plate -V., fig. 35 <?, 36 ? .) 



This handsome insect is probably very common throughout the country. It has 

 occurred abundantly at Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Ashburton and 

 Invercargill. 



The expansion of the wings is 2 inches. The fore- wings are pale brown, shaded with rich brown 

 on the costa and termen ; the reniform is large and black, with a conspicuous longitudinal streak 

 pointing towards the termen ; the orbicular is round, centred with black ; the claviform is elongate ; 

 there is a dark shaded line below the reniform, followed by a double wavy transverse black line. The 

 hind-wings are grey with pinkish reflections ; they are shaded with darker grey towards the termen ; 

 the cilia are white, the head and thorax are dark brown, the abdomen grey. In the female the brown 

 costal shading extends across the central portions of the fore-wings to the dorsum, and the general 

 colouring is also darker. 



There are no noteworthy variations in either sex. The larva feeds on the roots of 

 grasses. Its head is pale brown mottled with darker brown, and its body is lead-colour 

 with darker dorsal and lateral lines. It remains underground during the daytime, corning 

 abroad at night to feed. 



The pupa is red-brown with a very sharp, spine-like extremity. It is concealed in the 

 earth. * 



The perfect insect appears in January, February and March. It is often very 

 abundant at various blossoms in the evening, and comes readily to sugar. It is an insect 

 of almost universal distribution, occurring in Australia, China, India, Africa, Europe, and 

 North and South America, t 



* Newman's British Moths, 319. \ Meyrick, Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 33. 



