90 NEW ZEALAND MACRO-LEPIDOPTEBA. 



It feeds on Pteris incisa, a beautiful pale green fern, attaining a height of four feet or 

 more, and growing in open situations in the forest. This fern is especially abundant on 

 old decaying logs situated amongst light brushwood. When disturbed these larvae 

 immediately drop to the ground and coil themselves up. In this situation they are very 

 inconspicuous, as their colouring so closely resembles that of the faded fronds or stems of 

 the fern. 



The pupa is buried in the earth about two inches below the surface, the insect 

 remaining in this state during the winter months. 



The moth first appears about September, and continues in great abundance until 

 the end of March or beginning of April. It frequents forest, and is noticed most 

 commonly in the neighbourhood of its food-plant. There are probably several broods 

 in the course of a year. 



SESTEA FLEXATA, Walk. 



(Cidaria flexata, Walk. 1421.) 



(Plate IX., fig. 37.) 



This species has occasionally occurred in the neighbourhood of Wellington. I have 

 no records of its capture elsewhere, but expect it will be found to be generally distributed. 



The expansion of the wings is about 1 inches. The fore-wings are bright orange-red ; there is 

 a very faint transverse line near the base, darker on the costa ; a dark red oblong mark on the costa 

 near the middle ; and a faint transverse line beyond the middle, also darker on the costa. The hind- 

 wings are bright ochreous-yellow, with the cilia orange. 



This insect varies considerably in the intensity of its colouring. It has long been 

 considered as merely a variety of Sestra kumeraria, but as I have not observed any 

 intermediate forms, although the two insects frequently occur together, I think it may 

 be regarded for the present as a distinct species. 



The perfect insect appears from October till December, and is found in the same 

 localities as 8. liumeraria. 



Genus 5. GONOPHYLLA, Meyr. 



" Face shortly rough-haired. Palpi moderate, arched, ascending, shortly rough-scaled, terminal 

 joint short. Antennae in male rather stout, pubescent. Coxas and femora densely rough-haired 

 beneath. Fore-wings with vein 6 from below 9, 7 from below angle of areole, 10 shortly touching 9, 

 11 separate, 12 free. Hind-wings normal." (Meyrick.) (Plate II., figs. 63 and 64, neuration of 

 Gonophylla nelsonaria.) 



Of this genus we have but one species. 



GONOPHYLLA NELSONARIA, Feld. 



(Gonodontis (?) nelsonaria, Peld. cxxiii. 3. Gonodontis felix, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, 389, pi. xlii. 10. 

 Phyllodoce nelsonaria, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 104. Gonophylla mlsonaria, ib. xviii. 184.) 



(Plate X., figs. 3 and 4 <? varieties, 5 and 6 ? ditto.) 



This handsome insect is common in the neighbourhood of Wellington. It has 

 also occurred at Nelson and Dunedin, and is possibly generally distributed throughout 

 the country. 



The expansion of the wings is 1 inches. The fore-wings of the male are rich reddish- 

 brown, mottled with darker; there are several small white marks on the costa; a black dot in 

 the middle of the wing, and an almost straight white transverse line beyond the middle ; 

 outside this line the wing is speckled with greyish-white. The hind-wings are pale pinkish- 

 brown ; there is a black dot in the middle, and a curved blackish transverse line a little beyond 

 the middle, being a continuation of the transverse line of the fore-wing ; beyond this line, and on 

 the dorsum, there are generally several small blackish markings. The female has the fore-wings 



