IX.—THE 
MELANCHRA OLIVERI. 
(Morrisonia oliveri, Hamps., Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1911, 424.) 
(Plate VIII., fig. 18 9.) 
This handsome and very distinctly-marked species was 
discovered by Mr. F. S. Oliver on Bold Peak, Humboldt 
Range, Lake Wakatipu at an elevation of 3,500 feet above 
the sea-level. It has also occurred at Nelson, Waiho Gorge, 
and the Routeburn Valley beyond the head of Lake Waka- 
tipu. 
The expansion of the wings is 1% inches. The fore-wings 
are rather pale greenish-brown with pale ochreous and black 
markings; the costa is broadly edged with ochreous; the terminal 
area is mostly ochreous from about! + on the costa to about 34 
on the dorsum; there is a short, broad, black basal streak, the 
orbicular and reniform are very distinct, very irregularly oval, 
the orbicular filled with ochreous, the reniform with pale 
purplish-grey; two transverse series of blackish spots are placed 
obliquely beyond the middle of the wing; the spots composing 
the inner series are small and crescentic, the outer larger and 
wedge-shaped; there is a large, purplish-brown, semicircular 
blotch on the termen below the apex and a terminal series of 
blackish marks; the veins are strongly marked in whitish- 
ochreous. The hind-wings are dark ochreous-grey, paler towards 
the body. 
The perfect’ insect appears in December, and is found 
amongst sub-alpine scrub above the line of ordinary foresi. 
It frequents the flowers of the mountain veronicas in the 
evening. 
MELANCHRA COELENO. 
(Melanchra coeleno, Huds., N.Z. Moths, 26.) 
(Plate VIII., fig. 20 @.) 
This rather narrow-winged distinctly-marked little 
species has occurred at Titahi Bay, Wellington, Nelson, 
Christchurch, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu and Invereargill. 
The expansion of the wings is 12 inches. The fore-wings 
are very pale brownish-cream-colour; there is a large, irregular 
dark brown patch on the dorsum from about one-eighth to about 
two-thirds, another smaller patch at the tornus, and another still 
smaller on the termen a little above the middle; there are two 
very obscure transverse lines; the orbicular is elliptical, finely 
outlined in brown; the reniform contains two very dark brown 
dots, and is rather strongly outlined in brown towards the base. 
The hind-wings are dark grey. The cilia of all the wings are 
grey with a paler line. 
Varies considerably in the ground colour of the fore- 
wings, which is sometimes tinged with pale reddish-brown ; 
or very pale greenish on costa and dorsum. 
The perfect insect appears from September till Jan- 
uary. It is a rare species. 
MELANCHRA INCHOATA. 
(Melanchra inchoata, Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst., lii. 43.) 
(Plate XLVIII., fig. 31 4, 32 9.) 
This species was discovered by Mr. H. Hamilton on 
Stephens Island, Cook Strait. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over 14 inches. The 
fore-wings are ochreous-brown, paler in the male, slightly clouded 
NOCTUIDAE, 69 
with darker brown on the terminal and subterminal areas; the 
first line is very indistinct edged with blackish; the orbicular 
nearly round, very pale with double blackish centres; the clavi- 
form cone-shaped, small, dark brown; the reniform blackish, 
irregularly edged with paler; the area around the stigmata is 
clouded with dark brown; there is a conspicuous, fine, whitish 
subterminal line; the terminal area is mottled with brown and 
the termen itself rather strongly scalloped. The hind-wings are 
brown. 
The perfect insect appears in September. 
Described and figured from specimens in the Dominion 
Museum. 
MELANCHRA PANSICOLOR. 
(Morrisonia pansicolor, Howes; Trans. N.Z. Inst., xliv, 204.) 
CPIate REX elisa oon) 
This species was discovered by Mr. Howes near 
Dunedin. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The 
fore-wings are rather elongate with the termen slightly bowed 
and strongly scalloped; pale brownish-ochreous with reddish- 
brown markings; the transverse lines are strongly dentate with 
a few blackish dots at the indentations; the reniform is rather 
large, irregularly clouded with dark greyish-brown towards the 
base; the other stigmata are indistinct; beyond the second line 
the veins are clearly indicated by a series of elongate black 
marks; there is a series of blackish terminal dots and the cilia 
are warm ochreous-brown. The hind-wings are pale ochreous 
clouded with greyish towards the apex and termen. In the 
female the abdomen is pale ochreous sparsely speckled with 
blackish scales, in the male reddish-ochreous with strong crests. 
The perfect insect appears in October and November, 
and may be taken at sugar. 
Although smaller, this species is very like the some- 
what variable female of M. pascot but Mr. Philpott, who 
has seen a number of specimens, assures me it is a distinct 
species. 
Deseribed and figured from a specimen in Mr. Phil- 
pott’s collection. 
MELANCHRA DIATMETA. 
(Melarchra diatmeta, Huds., N.Z. Moths, 21.) 
(Plate VIII., fig. 7 @.) 
This very distinetly-marked species has been taken at 
Rangataua, Wanganui, in the neighbourhood of Welling- 
ton and at Christchurch. According to Mr. Philpott it 
is generally distributed throughout Otago.* 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The fore- 
wings are reddish-brown; there is a short longitudinal black 
streak near the base, an obscure yellowish-green transverse line 
at about one-fourth, and several short oblique brown or yellow 
marks on the costa; the orbicular is oval, oblique outlined very 
distinctly in yellowish-green; the reniform is greenish-white, 
margined with yellowish-green towards the base of the wing; 
there is a black longitudinal streak on the dorsum, at the base, 
which bends upwards at about one-fourth, and runs in a some- 
what curved direction to a little above the tornus. The veins 
are faintly marked in black, and there are several large yellow- 
*Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlix., 199. 

