455 



LEPIDOPTERA. 

 Suborder RHOPALOCERA. 

 By G. A. Waterhouse, B.Sc, etc. 



The butterflies caught by Captain White in the MacDon- 

 nell Ranges were six in number. 



LYCiENiD^E. — Nacaduba biocellata, Felder. Four males. 

 This pretty little "blue" was described originally from Ade- 

 laide, and is well distributed through Australia. During some 

 years it occurs in very great numbers, and then almost dis- 

 appears for several seasons. The larvae have been found feed- 

 ing on the flower-buds of various species of Acacia. 



Pierid^e. — Anapkceis teutonia, Fab. One male. This 

 is the Australian race of .4. Java; it is one of the common 

 butterflies here, and one or other of its races are to be found 

 in most of the South Pacific Islands. The larvae are gre- 

 garious, and their chief food-plants are the various species of 

 Capparis. They probably feed also on Apophyllum anomalam, 

 F. v. M., as many pupae have been found upon this plant. 

 Terias smilax, Don. — One male. The smallest eastern species 

 of the genus. It is found throughout Australia, but nowhere 

 very plentifully, excepting during its periodic migrations. 

 Larvae and pupae have been found on Cassia fistula, and only 

 differ slightly from those of Terias hecabe. 



Suborder HETEROCERA. 

 By A. Jefferis Turner, M.D., F.E.S. 



So little is known of the moths of Central Australia that 

 much interest is attached to a collection of about thirty 

 species recently made by Captain S. A. White in the 

 MacDonnell Ranges, and sent to me for examination by the 

 South Australian Museum. At first sight the collection was 

 disappointing, for most of the species are hardy wanderers 

 with an extensive distribution in Australia, or even through- 

 out the greater part of the Eastern Hemisphere. But a closer 

 inspection reveals the existence of a small proportion of species 

 that appear to be endemic in the central and drier regions 

 of the continent. Unfortunately these, being mostly species 

 of smaller size, do not figure numerously in this collection, 

 and those that there are are mostly in such poor condition 

 that they cannot be definitely determined. I divide them 

 according to their distribution into three groups: — 



1. Wide-ranging or ubiquitous species: — Utetkeisa 

 jjidchella, JV ' eocleptria punctifera, Chloridea obsoleta, Euxoa 

 radians, Agrotis spina, Cirphis loreyi, Laphygma exigua, 



