42 



others, being polyphagous. The moth itself occasionally is seen 

 on lantana flowers. 



The two butterflies, Vanessa tammeamea and Lycaena hlack- 

 burni are. common, as also their caterpillars, the former on 

 Pipturus, the latter on "koa," and on Dodonaea viscosa, as 

 well as on introduced pod-bearing trees — the monkey-pod tree 

 and others. 



In the Pyralidina at least two species of Talis are found, one 

 of them only on the low dry slopes, and the conspicuous green 

 Margaronia exaula flies wildly by day or night in ferny places. 

 Its larva equally conspicuous in colour is found on the native 

 Euphorbia trees and likewise attacks introduced species. Of the 

 important genus Omiodes, blackburni, epicentra, accepta, con- 

 tinuatalis, demaratalis, monogona and localis all occur below the 

 native forest as well as (at least most of them) in it. 0. euryprora 

 was once taken. Most of the species are to some extent of 

 economic importance, and no doubt rarer species are to be 

 found, such as antidoxa, monogramma, etc. 



The genus Phlyctaenia yields five species; others no doubt 

 only want looking for. P. synastra is a very pretty species, and 

 the other four are P. monticolans, nigrescens, stellata and despecta, 

 the latter being extremely common. Pyrausta constricta is not 

 common but varies much in colour, and Mecyna aurora is taken 

 in single specimens occasionally. 



The species of the genus Mestolobes are very interesting, and 

 as none have been bred, their habits should be studied. M. 

 xanthoscia, semiochrea, abnormis, autodoxa and antichora all occur 

 here, frequently visiting the Ohia flowers, while the abundant 

 and ubiquitous M. minuscula ranges down to the plains. Of 

 the allied genus Orthomecyna, only crossias has been taken, but 

 no doubt other species are to be found, as is also the case in the 

 big genus Scoparia. Of the latter only 5. balanopis, mesoleuca, 

 catactis, ianthes, bucolica, hawaiiensis , melanopis, meristis and 

 halmaea have occurred, but it must be said that no special col- 

 lecting of Scoparia has been attempted on Tantalus. The 

 microlepidoptera cannot be dealt with at present, but at certain 

 seasons the Tineina are very numerously represented. 



HYMENOPTERA. 



The Aculeate Hymenoptera of the lowest slopes of Tantalus 

 have as yet been little studied, the forest-frequenting forms have 



