264 
LARENTIA. By L. B. Prout. 
Australian species (chiefly New Zealand) and can now only be characterized as resembling the pectinate sections 
of Xanthorhoe and Ortholitha except in the discocellulars of the hindwing, which are here always definitely 
biangulate. Probably X. magnificata and 0. latifusata should, in strict logic, be transferred to Larentia, but 
their taxonomy requires further elucidation and it is right to add that Janse has merged the South African 
Larentia and Ortholitha, under the latter name, while Meyrick united all three genera (and others) as Xanthorhoe. 
omria . L. oraria Philpott (26 e). A very simple species, rather small, elongate-winged, the forewing glossy- 
yellowish, almost unicolorous, with a black cell-dot and at times faint traces of postmedian marking, the hind¬ 
wing paler, unmarked, beneath with a cell-dot; forewing beneath with smoky suffusion in and beyond the cell- 
reaching forward at least to subcostal and its 5th branch. New Zealand: near Invercargill; also on Stewart 
Island. Mountain forms (Ben Lomond and especially Mount Earnslaw) are said to be still longer-winged. The 
$ is still undescribed and is suspected of being semiapterous. 
sericodes. L. sericodes Meyr. (26 f). Extremely like a much overgrown omria. Tone slightly more brownish, very 
strongly glossy, markings (except the cell-dots) still more obsolete, suffusion beneath rather less extended for- 
aph-atc. ward. Mount Earnslaw, ca. 3500 feet. — ab. apicata nov., mentioned and figured by Hudson (Butterflies and 
Moths of New Zealand, p. 121), has cloudy greyish apical spots. 
imperfecta. L. imperfecta Philpott (26 e). Very distinct in its brighter colour and the characteristic costal markings 
of the forewing and in the spotted fringe. In the $ the dark markings are faintly continued across the wings. 
West Plains, near Invercargill (type); also near Dunedin. 
exoriens. L. exoriens Prout (26 g). Variable, but generally distinguishable from aegrota by the strong reddish 
suffusion at the costal margin of the forewing and the less strongly spotted fringes; hindwing beneath not heavily 
marked. Pectinations a little longer. Lake Watatipu district: Glenorchv (type); also from Clyde, Nevis and 
Kinloch. 
albalineata. L. albalineata Philpott (= albilineata Meyr.) (26 g). Recognizable on the upperside by the form of the 
lines which outline the median area, but particularly well characterized by the underside: forewing dark-suffused 
excepting the costa and apex, hindwing with 2 broad, very conspicuous brown streaks, which run longitudinally 
along the folds and are edged with white. Stewart Island, discovered on Table Hill, at about 2000 feet. 
aegrota . L. aegrota Btlr. (26 g). A common and very variable species, distributed from the Wellington district 
to Stewart Island. Both wings beneath pale at costa, the hindwing broadly so; in well-marked examples, such 
as we figure the intricate pattern of this wing is very characteristic. According to Hudson it “frequents rather 
open situations in the neighbourhood of forest ' and is often found among Discaria toumatou. 
dionysias. L. dionysias Meyr. ( dionysius Huds.) (26 h). Probably, as Meyrick suggests, nearly related to aegrota, 
but (at least in the type) with the 2nd radial of the hindwing arising only a very little behind the end of the 
cell-vein, while in aegrota the typical Larentia venation is very pronounced. Markings of upperside stronger 
and more complete than in aegrota , the postmedian much less sinuous than in exoriens, the hindwing with a 
distinct cell-dot. Underside with the principal markings broader and more definite than in the allies. Old Man 
Range, Central Otago, 4000 feet. 
recta . L. recta Philpott (26 h). Said to resemble dionysias, but the only specimen known to me is extremely 
like some exoriens, though with a few less pectinations, discocellulars biangulate; lines of forewing mostly 
straightish, but the postmedian, which is distinctive, has a bilobed projection in the middle and is b o r d e r e d 
d i s t a I I y by a distinct white stripe. Hindwing beneath darker and more reddish than above. Ida Valley, 
Central Otago (loc. typ.), also about Dunedin and Invercargill. 
adonis. L. adonis Hudson (26 h). An elegant species, easily known from the other green Larentia species by its 
bright colour and the black, white-edged markings. Distributed in South Island from Mount Arthur to Inver¬ 
cargill, but not common; it frequents mountain forests, 1000 to 4000 feet. 
beata. L. beata Butt. (= benedicta Meyr.) (26 h). Locally common at Wellington, Tararua Mountains, etc., 
and at several localities (Greymouth, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, etc.) in South Island and not very 
variable. Attention may be called to the conspicuous, generally strigiform cell-mark of the forewing, nearly 
always placed on a white space, which may be quite small, but can be so extended as to form an uninterrupted 
central stripe of the median band. Egg green, highly polished, the hexagonal depressions very shallow. The 
larva, which has been reared on watercress, is about 5 / 8 inch long when full-grown; subcylindrical, flattened 
above, the lateral ridge very prominent and rugose; pinkish brown (rarely dull green), with V-shaped blackish 
dorsal markings and an interrupted blackish lateral line. It is very sluggish by day, feeding at night. The moth 
is beautifully protected when resting on moss-covered tree-trunks. 
