36 NEW ZEALAND MACBO-LEPIDOPTEBA. 



then again with black ; the centre of the crescent is filled in with black ; beyond this spot there are three 

 fine black wavy transverse lines emitting three very sharp teeth between the reniform and the dorsum ; 

 there is a faint shaded line near the termen. The hind-wings are rich brown, slightly paler than the 

 fore- wings ; there are three shaded, wavy, transverse lines. The termen of both wings is slightly 

 scalloped with a minute bluish-white dot at each indentation ; the cilia are dark brown. 



The life-history is thus described by Mr. Colenso : 



The larva when full grown is about 3| inches in length, elongate, slightly thicker in the middle, 

 and with the skin smooth. It is ash-colour, speckled with minute points of black and red ; two 

 minute carmine spots are situated close together on its back ; and, when in motion, two large 

 triangular black splashes are also visible. The under side of the larva is dull white, with several dull 

 olive spots corresponding to its ventral prolegs. Its head is small, and pale Indian yellow in colour ; 

 its anal and ventral prolegs are large ; on being touched the caterpillar coils itself up very rapidly and 

 closely. 



The specimen from which Mr. Colenso's description was taken, was found at rest 

 on the trunk of a large acacia-tree, which is probably the food-plant of the larva. 



The pupa is enclosed in a cocoon formed of leaves fastened together with silk. The 

 insect appears to remain in this condition for about two months. 



The pupa-case (after emergence) is nearly cylindrical, very obtuse at the head, and 

 tapering regularly downwards from the end of the wing-cases, with the tail conical ; the 

 abdominal segments are very strongly marked. Its colour is dark red, with a bluish or 

 violet bloom, but smooth and shining on its prominent parts.* 



The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March, but it is rather a scarce 

 species. It is attracted by light, and thus occasionally enters houses, where specimens 

 are generally captured. Mr. Meyrick states that this insect occurs commonly in Eastern 

 Australia, t 



Genus 4. EHAPSA. 



" Eyes naked. Palpi very long, obliquely ascending, loosely rough-scaled throughout, second 

 joint with dense long projecting tuft above towards apex, terminal joint moderate. Antennae in male 

 moderately bipectinated, apex simple. Thorax and abdomen not crested. Fore- wings in male 

 beneath with large broad costal fold on anterior half." (Meyrick.) (Plate II., figs. 16 and 17 neura- 

 tion of $ Rhapsa scotosialis ; fig. 18 head of ditto.) 



We have two species. 



EHAPSA SCOTOSIALIS, Walk. 



(Rhapsa scotosialis, Walk., Suppl. 1150. Herminia lilacina, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, pi. xlii. 11. 



Bhapsa scotosialis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. last. xix. 38.) 

 (Plate VI., fig. 5 $ , 6 ? .) 



This remarkable species is extremely abundant and generally distributed throughout 

 the country. 



The expansion of the wings is If inches. The fore-wings have the costa considerably arched 

 towards the apex, and the termen is bowed outwards in the middle ; the colour is pale brown in the 

 male and dark brown in the female ; there are several obscure black marks near the base ; the 

 orbicular is very small, orange or pale grey outlined in black, the claviform is absent, the reniform 

 is conspicuous, the outer edge is much indented, the inner edge is outlined with dull orange-red, there 

 is a black blotch between the orbicular and the reniform ; beyond the reniform there is a carved 

 transverse line enveloping a series of minute black dots, then a very conspicuous wavy transverse line 

 shaded towards the base of the wing; there is a pale triangular area at the apex, and a series of small 

 crescentic dark brown markings on the termen ; the cilia are dark brown. The hind-wings are 

 greyish-ochreous ; there is a rather faint line across the middle, followed by a broad shade ; a series of 



* Trans. N. Z. Inst. xi. 300. | Ib. xix. 88. 



