56 NEW ZEALAND MACEO-LEPIDOPTERA. 



4 



The eggs when first deposited are pale yellow. They turn dark reddish-brown for some days 

 before the young larva emerges. 



The young larva is rather stout, dark brownish-black with numerous fine parallel ochreous lines ; 

 the whole body is covered with rather long bristles. 



The perfect insect appears from October till April, and frequents forest, where it is 

 generally very abundant. It is a difficult insect to identify on the wing, and in 

 consequence is often captured under a misapprehension. 



This species probably hibernates in the imago state during the winter months, as we 

 may often observe specimens abroad on mild evenings, at that season. 



ASAPHODES PAEOEA, Meyr. 



(Harpalyce humeraria, Meyr. (nee Walk.), Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 64. Harpalyce parora, Meyr., Trans. 



N. Z. Inst. xvii. 63. Probolaa parora, ib. xviii. 184.) 



" Male, female. 29-34 mm. (about 1 inches) . Fore-wings moderate, apex acute, termen excavated 

 on upper half, acutely projecting in middle ; varying from light grey to light reddish-fuscous ; about 

 eighteen irregular dentate darker striae, sometimes partially obsolete; first three, seventh and eighth, 

 and eleventh to thirteenth usually more distinct and blackish ; seventh and eighth closely approximated, 

 forming a small blackish or reddish spot on dorsum, sometimes partially suffused with blackish ; 

 eleventh to thirteenth closely approximated, widely remote from eighth, parallel to termen ; a blackish 

 discal dot ; sometimes a broad purplish-grey median band ; sixteenth sometimes spotted with blackish 

 towards costa ; a terminal row of blackish dots. Hind- wings moderate, upper angle broadly 

 projecting, termen shortly projecting in middle ; varying from whitish-grey to very pale reddish- 

 fuscous, faintly striated with darker. 



" Very variable in colour, but always distinguishable by the peculiar form of wing. 



"Wellington, Christchurch, Mount Hutt ; common amongst bush, in January, 

 February, April, and May; probably generally distributed; twenty specimens. "- 

 (Meyrick.) 



I am unacquainted with this insect, but it would appear to closely resemble A. 



megaspilata. 



ASAPHODES EUFESCENS, Butl. 



(Larentia (?) rufescens, Butl., Cist. Eat. ii. 502. Eurydice cyrnoscma, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 63. 

 Eurydice rufescens, ib. xvii. 63. Homodotis rufescens, ib. xviii. 184.) 



" Male, female. 25-29 mm. (about \\ inches). Fore-wings moderate, termen rather strongly 

 sinuate ; brown-whitish, sometimes more or less suffused with brown ; numerous fine dark fuscous 

 sinuate subdentate lines ; three before middle and four beyond middle more blackish, generally 

 partially suffused with brown, leaving a clear median space on costal half, in which is a 

 transverse blackish discal dot ; termen suffusedly greyish ; a suffused oblique dark fuscous sub- 

 apical streak. Hind-wings moderate, termen irregularly crenulate, somewhat projecting in middle; 

 grey whitish ; several subdentate grey lines, only distinct towards dorsum ; a dark grey 

 discal dot. 



" Variable only in the degree of the brownish suffusion ; in the markings of the 

 fore-wings it agrees almost exactly with some forms of A. megaspilata, but, apart from 

 structure, may be always known by the whitish hind-wings and rather larger size. 



"Dunedin; ten specimens sent to Mr. Fereday by Capt. Hutton." (Meyrick.) 



I have only seen one specimen of this insect, in Mr. Fereday's collection, and it 

 appeared to me to be identical with the somewhat variable female of A. 'megaspilata. 



Genus 11. XANTHOEHOE, Hb. 



" Face with somewhat projecting scales or conical tuft. Antennae in male bi-pectinated, apex 

 usually simple. Palpi rough-scaled. Fore-wings with areole double. Hind-wings with vein 8 

 anastomosing with cell to beyond middle." (Meyrick.) (See Plate II., figs. 37 and 38.) 



