58 NEW ZEALAND MACRO-LEPIDOPTEBA. 



The expansion of the wings is about If inches. The fore-wings of the male vary from 

 pale pinkish-grey to pale greenish-grey ; there is an obscure darker basal area, a rather broad 

 central band, formed of numerous shaded, wavy, dark grey lines, ivhich are generally absent 

 towards the middle of the band ; there is a black dot above the middle ; the termen is shaded 

 with dark grey, and there is an oblique pale mark near the apex. The hind-wings are grey 

 with a few very faint wavy lines. The cilia of all the wings are pinkish-grey. The female is 

 dull yellowish-grey, with the markings very indistinct. 



Both sexes vary slightly in the ground colour, and in the intensity of the 

 markings. Mr. Purdie has pointed out that the species is very liable to fade, and 

 hence it appears to vary more than is actually the case.* 



The eggs are oval, pale yellow, changing first to orange, and then to dull grey before 

 hatching. The young larva, when first emerged, is pale greyish-brown and very slender. Later 

 on the caterpillar becomes dull olive-green speckled with black ; there are two paler stripes just 

 below the middle of the back, then a fine black line, followed by a very fine white one, then a 

 broad pink stripe on the side; below this is a broad black line followed by a white line and 

 two fine black ones. The larva is moderately stout, and the two prolegs are very close together. 

 The larva, when full-grown, measures about f inch in length. The general colour is dull 

 reddish-brown, often greenish-tinged. The back and sides are marked with numerous slightly 

 waved fine black lines ; there is a double series of black dots down the back, a broad black 

 lateral line, followed by a fine white line. The under side of the larva is pinkish-brown ; the 

 head greenish-brown speckled with black. The caterpillar is obscurely marked, and very variable. 

 It is often clouded with greenish colouring. 

 The food-plant is watercress. 



The pupa, which is enclosed in a slight cocoon constructed of earth and silk, 

 is found on the surface of the ground. 



The perfect insect is most abundant in December, and is attracted by light. It 

 seems to be about during the entire year, as Mr. Meyrick states that he has taken 

 numerous specimens from May till September, and hence concludes that it is essentially 

 a winter species, f I can to some extent confirm this observation, as I have also found 

 the insect during the winter, although not commonly. It is probable that there are 

 several broods in the course of a year, and that the species hibernates as an imago. 



Kegarding the synonymy of this species Mr. Meyrick remarks that " C. ardularia, 

 Gn., is the male and C. inamcenaria, Gn., the female of this species. C. subidaria, 

 Gn., quoted by Butler as a synonym, is an Australian species, and not identical."^ 



XANTHOBHOE OROPHYLA, Meyr. 

 (Epyaxa orophyla, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 71.) 



(Plate VII., fig. 24 a 1 , 25 ? .) 



This fine species has occurred in the South Island at Nelson, Castle Hill, 

 Mount Hutt, Dunedin and Lake Wakatipu. 



The expansion of the wings of the male is \\ inches, of the female 1$ inches. The fore- 

 wings of the male are pale broivnish-grey ; there is an obscure bent blackish line near the base, 

 a moderately broad central band bounded by two very distinct shaded blackish lines, the basal one 

 of which is not curved; the termen is shaded with darker grey, and there is an oblique pale 

 mark near the apex. The hind-wings are pale grey tinged with ochreous. 



The female is slightly darker than the male ; and there are numerous wavy pale and dark 

 grey lines filling up the entire wing on each side of the central band. 



The perfect insect appears in December, January, and February. It frequents 

 open country on the mountain sides, at elevations of from 2,500 to 4,000 feet. 



* Trans. N. Z. Inst. xviii. 208. f Ib. xvi. 71. { Ib. 



