NYCTEMERA ANNULATA OF NEW ZEALAND. 145 



Pupa. — Length f inch, at widest nearly J inch. The ground 

 colour is black ; there is a slight brownish tinge on some ; one speci- 

 men has the wing-cases almost wholly yellow, but normal specimens 

 have only the nervures of a yellow colour. Some yellow spots on 

 the abdominal segments form three longitudinal lateral series, and two 

 ventral series, and one mid-dorsal. The shape is robust, thickest at 

 3rd abdominal segment. The head is ventral, meso-thorax swollen 

 anteriorly, and a waist is formed dorsally at the juncture of post- 

 thorax and 1st abdominal segments, The wing-cases extend to the 

 ventral posterior edge of 4tli abdominal segment. Spiracles are con- 

 spicuously elevated, position on 2nd abdominal being almost dorsal ; 

 3rd subdorsal 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 normal. The abdominal incisions are 

 distinct and sharp ; anterior edge of segments has a flat sloping rim, 

 and all, except tiie posterior fixed segments, are covered with innu- 

 merable minute pits (only distinguishable under microscope, and pro- 

 bably associated with the fine larval hairs). I cannot detect setse 

 (corresponding to tubercle setae of larva). The terminal segment is 

 round and blunt ; the anal armature consists of two sets of hooks, 

 twelve each, at either side of the dorsal posterior extremity. Dehis- 

 cence : dorsally split down middle of meso-thorax and post-thorax, 

 and transversely at suture of same ; the headpiece, with eyes, legs, 

 and antennae intact, separates from costal edge of the wing-cases, 

 except at their tips. 



The first imago, a male, appeared after thirty-two days in 

 pupa. Second imago, a female, appeared five days later, after a 

 period of thirty days in pupa. Thus, from May 10th, 1900, 

 when the ova were deposited, to November 23rd, 1900, when the 

 male emerged = 257 days, of which 126 days were passed in 

 hybernation. Wild imago females of N. annulata continued to 

 deposit ova right up to the time that my larvae went into hyber- 

 nation, but I have little doubt that the progeny from these never 

 pass through the winter, and that the race of N. annulata is 

 maintained by those individuals which succeed in attaining at 

 least the sixth skin before winter. 



So far as I can learn, thanks to the kindness of Mr. E. 

 Illidge, of Queensland, Nyctemera secundiana is more closely 

 allied to N. annulata than any other species ; it is interesting to 

 observe in the latter the decrease in size of the white wing- 

 marking — indeed, I have one specimen, sent by Mr. G. Howes 

 from the extreme south of New Zealand, in which the white spot 

 of the hind wings is almost obliterated. I have little hesitation 

 in believing that N. annulata of New Zealand has been directly 

 derived from the Queensland species N. secundiana. 



Palmerston North, New Zealand : Jan. 22nd, 1901. 



