110 NEW ZEALAND MACRO-LEPTDOPTEKA. 



found in Java, Sumatra, Tasmania and all parts of the Australian Continent. About the 

 year 1830 it was described by Stephens, in his ' British Entomology,' under the name 

 of Cynthia liampstediensis, on account of its having been taken at Hampstead, the well- 

 known suburb of London. Subsequently it transpired that the specimen in question was 

 no doubt of foreign origin, its " appearance " having been due to a practical joke 

 perpetrated on the British Lepidopterists of the day. 



Family 2. SATYRID^. 



" Characters of Nymphalidce, but fore-wings with vein 12 greatly dilated towards base." 

 (Plate I., figs. 25, 26, and 27, neuration of EreUa pluto.) 



" A large group of very general distribution. The species are usually of moderate 

 size, generally dark coloured with light bands or spots, and with several round, black, 

 white-centred spots on lower surface. Some of them are more fond of shady places than 

 is customary in this group. 



" Ovum spherical-ovate, surface reticulated and often ribbed. Larva more or less 

 tapering towards extremities, with short hairs ; segment 13 ending in two points ; feeding 

 on grass. Pupa suspended by the tail or unattached, sometimes subterranean." - 

 (Meyrick.) (See Plate III., figs. 4 and 5 larvae, 28 and 29 pupa?.) 



Of this family we have three genera represented in New Zealand : 

 1. ARGYROPHENGA. 2. DODONIJHA. 3. EREBIA. 



Genus 1. AEGYEOPHENGA. 



Eyes glabrous. Club of antennae somewhat abrupt. Fore-wings with lower margin of cell 

 greatly dilated towards base ; veins 8, 9, 10, and 11 out of 7 ; vein 12 greatly dilated towards base. 

 Of this genus there is one species in New Zealand. 



AEGYEOPHENGA ANTIPODUM, Doubleday. 

 (Argyrophenga antipodum, Doubleday, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. xvi. p. 307 (1845) ; Gen. Diurn. Lepid. 



pi. 63, fig. 6 (1851); Butler, Erebus and Terror Lep., pi. 8, figs. 4, 7 (1874).) 

 (Plate XI., fig. 4 $ , 5 2 , 3 variety, 6 under side of <? , 7 under side of variety ; Plate III., fig. 4 



larva, fig. 29 pupa.) 



This species occurs commonly on the tussock lands from Christchurch to Invercargill. 

 In the provinces of Nelson and Marlborough it is, I believe, confined to situations having 

 elevations of from 2,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea-level. It has never been captured in 

 the North Island. 



The expansion of the wings varies from If to If inches. Above, all the wings are dull brownish- 

 Hack, paler near the body ; the. outer portion of each is covered with a large patch of bright orange- 

 brown (northern form), or fawn colour (southern form) ; on the fore-wings this patch contains a large 

 oval black spot, with two white dots in the middle ; on the hind-wings there are two, three, or four 

 black spots, with one white dot in the centre of each; beneath, the markings on the fore-wings 

 resemble those of the upper surface, except that there are often sevc ral short silvery stripes near 

 the apex ; the hind-wings are dull yellow, with silver streaks between the veins, and one broader 

 streak in the centre of the wing. The female is much paler than the male, with the borders of 

 the wings whitish. 



This insect is extremely variable. The colouring appears to be much influenced 

 by local conditions. On the Dun Mountain, Nelson district, at an elevation of about 

 2,700 feet, a very small light form occurs in which the sexes are almost exactly alike. 

 There are only two perfect spots on the upper surface of the hind-wings ; the other spot is 



