IT. THE NOTODONTINA. 71 



indistinct darker transverse lines, and a very broad terminal shading ; there are two, more or 

 less distinct, fine, wavy, white lines, the first a little below the middle, and the second near the 

 termen ; the cilia are dark grey barred with pale grey. On the under side all the wings are dark 

 blackish-grey, traversed by six broad wavy whitish lines. 



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

 rocky crags on mountains, at elevations of from 4,700 to 5,700 feet above the sea- 

 level. It delights to rest on blackened rocks in the hottest sunshine, but dashes 

 away with the greatest rapidity on the approach of the collector, so that it is 

 generally rather difficult to capture. 



Genus 14. NOTOEEAS, Meyr. 



" Face roughly haired. Palpi moderate, second joint with long or very long spreading hairs 

 beneath, terminal joint moderate or rather long, often concealed. Antennae in male bi-pectinated. 

 Thorax beneath more or less strongly clothed with long hairs. Fore-wings with vein 6 rising out 

 of 9, 7 almost from angle of areole, 10 anastomosing moderately with 9, 11 anastomosing 

 moderately or very shortly with 10, 12 free. Hind-wings normal." (Meyrick.) (See Plate II., 

 fig. 43, fore-wing of Notoreas brephos.) 



This interesting genus, of which we have no less than fifteen species, comprises 

 a number of gaily coloured little insects, chiefly inhabiting mountain regions. All the 

 species are day-fliers, and most of them only appear during the hottest sunshine. 

 Mr. Meyrick regards the genus Notoreas as most closely approaching to the ancestor 

 of the family Hydriomenidce. 



NOTOEEAS INSIGNIS, Bull. 



(Aspilates insignia, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, 393, pi. xliii. 1. Pasithea insignis, Meyr., Trans. 



N. Z. Inst. xvi. 85. Notoreas insignis, ib. xviii. 184.) 



(Plate VIII., fig. 3 $ .) 



This very striking species has been taken in the South Island at Castle Hill. 

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

 icings of the male are dull yellowish-brown; in the middle of the wing there is an almost straight 

 long white streak from the base to about three-fourths; there is another straight white streak 

 parallel to the termen and almost touching the apex. The hind-wings are bright ochreous speckled 

 with brown near the base. The female has the wings rather narrower than the male, and the 

 ground colour is paler. 



The perfect insect appears in January. Mr. Fereday's specimens, which formed 

 the basis for the above figure and description, were captured on a bare mountain side 

 at an elevation of about 4,000 feet. Mr. Hawthorne has directed my attention to the 

 remarkable similarity existing between the markings on the fore-wings of this 

 species and those on Xanthorhoe stinaria. 



NOTOEEAS OEPHN^A, Meyr. 

 (Pasithea orphnaa, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 85. Notoreas orphnaa, ib. xviii. 184.) 



This species was discovered by Mr. Meyrick in the South Island at Lake Wakatipu. 



The expansion of the wings of the female is from 28 to 30 mm. (about 1 inches). "Fore-wings 

 moderate, termen rounded; dark fuscous, mixed with yellowish and whitish, which tend to form 

 alternate fasciae ; a discal dot and numerous curved irregularly dentate blackish lines, varying in 

 strength and intensity ; cilia barred with blackish and whitish. Hind-wings moderate, termen 

 rounded ; dark fuscous ; a blackish discal dot ; a cloudy whitish irroration forming a double curved 

 fascia beyond middle, and a dentate subterminal line ; cilia as in fore-wings. 



" Imitative in colour of the dark lichen-grown rocks. 



