IX.—THE NOCTUIDAE. 75 
amongst the foliage of its foodplant, the resemblance of 
the young caterpillar to a small dead, or half dead, shoot 
being most remarkable. 
The pupa is concealed in the earth. 
The perfect insect appears from September till April 
or May. It is freely attracted by sugar, blossoms and 
light. 
MELANCHRA TEMPERATA., 
(Bryophila temperata, Walk., Cat. xv., 1648; Xylina inceptura, ib. 
1736; X. deceptura, ib. 1737; Morrisonia temperata, Hamps., 
V. o90, Dl. lxxxix! 6,) 
(Plate X., fig. 28 4.) 
The fore-wings are grey-brown with a reddish tinge and 
some fuscous irroration, the veins streaked with fuscous; sub- 
basal line represented by double dark striae from costa and cell; 
antemedial line represented by double dark points on costa, 
median nervure and vein 1; claviform sometimes partly defined 
by fuscous; orbicular and reniform with slight whitish annuli 
defined by fuscous, the former rather elongate elliptical, the 
latter somewhat angled inwards on median nervure; postmedial 
line more or less indistinct, dentate, and with a series of points 
beyond it on the veins, bent outwards below costa and oblique 
below vein 4; subterminal line represented by some more or less 
indistinct dentate dark marks at middle; a terminal series of 
dark points. The hind-wings are fuscous-brown; the cilia pale 
at tips; the underside pale with slight discoidal lunule and 
curved postmedial line. The female is greyer than the male. 
I am unacquainted with this species. The above par- 
ticulars have been taken from the description given by Sir 
George Hampson in volume vy. of the ‘‘Catalogue of the 
Lepidoptera Phalaenae’’ in the British Museum, and the 
figure has been copied from the same publication. 
MELANCHRA PRIONISTIS. 
(Mamestra prionistis, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xix. 27; Morris- 
onia prionistis, Hamps., Cat. v. 384, pl. lxxxix. 5.) 
(Plate IX., fig. 22 9.) 
This species is common at Wellington in the North 
Island, and seems to be generally distributed throughout 
the South Island. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is 1§ inches, of 
the female 1} inches. The fore-wings are rather pale yellowish- 
brown, with numerous irregular longitudinal grey streaks; there 
are several very obscure jagged transverse lines, and the stig- 
mata are almost invisible; a very broad blackish longitudinal 
band is situated on the dorsum. The hind-wings are brownish- 
grey; the cilia are grey tipped with white. The head and thorax 
are grey tinged with yellowish-brown; there is a conspicuous 
blackish streak on each side of the thorax. 
In this species the dorsal band is often considerably 
paler, but otherwise there is no variation. 
The perfect insect appears from September till May. 
It comes freely to sugar, and oceasionally to light. It is 
also sometimes found at rest on trees in the daytime, where 
its colouring is protective. I have noticed that this moth 
is much commoner in some years than in others. Speci- 
mens are occasionally met with during the winter. 
MELANCHRA SEQUENS. 
(Morrisonia sequens, Howes, Trans. N.Z. Inst., xliv. 204; Butter- 
fly Hunting in Many Lands, pl. vi. 1.) 
CElacer TAG asta 20m «) 
This clearly-marked species was discovered by Dr. G. 
B. Longstaff at Whakarewarewa, near Rotorua. It has 
also been taken at Taihape. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches, The fore- 
wings are rather narrow, pale bluish-grey faintly mottled with 
pale greyish-brown; the orbicular is oval, distinct, outlined in 
brownish-black; the reniform large, also distinct; there is a 
short broken, brown bar below these two markings; an oblique 
sub-apical shading; the veins are faintly indicated by broken 
blackish marks and there is a series of costal bars and terminal 
dots; the other markings are indefinite. The hind-wings are 
dark greyish-brown, darker towards the termen. 
The perfect insect appears in February. 
MELANCHRA PHRICIAS. 
(Mamestra temperdta, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xix. 27; (nec 
Walk.); Mamestra phricias, Meyr., ib. xx. 46; Hamps., Cat. 
Ve OOo D Le LX Xe) 
(Plate IX., fig. 11 9.) 
This species has occurred at Rangataua and in the 
Manawatu district in the North Island. In the South 
Island it has been found at Blenheim, Christchurch, Lake 
Coleridge, Central Otago, and Lake Wakatipu. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. Very like 
M. sequens, but with all the markings much less distinct, the 
hind-wings paler and greyer, and the palpi very much longer 
and more slender than in that species. 
A variety occurs in which the dorsum is strongly 
margined with black. 
The perfect insect appears from October till May, 
and is attracted by sugar and light. It is not a common 
species. 
MELANCHRA CHRYSERYTHRA. 
(Morrisonia chryserythra, Hamps., Ann., Mag. Nat. Hist., [7], 
xv., 452, [1905.].) 
(Plate UX. fies 6045-7. 9.) 
This very bright-looking species has occurred at Gore 
Vi 8 g 
and Orepuki, Southland, and on Bold Peak and in the 
Routeburn Valley, near Lake Wakatipu. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is almost 1? inches, 
of the female 1g inches. The antennae of the male are moder- 
ately bi-pectinated from base to near apex. The fore-wings of 
the male are bright brownish-red, darker between the first and 
second lines; the orbicular is darker finely, but irregularly out- 
lined in white; the reniform large, kidney-shaped, paler in the 
middle, broadly but irregularly outlined in white below, finely 
outlined in white above; the second line is distinct and jagged; 
beyond this the veins are obscurely marked with blackish and 
dull white dots; there is a series of faint sub-terminal marks. The 
hind-wings are pale reddish-ochreous. In the female the fore- 
wings are bright ochreous-brown, very slightly tinged with 
purplish; the basal line is indicated by three brown marks; the 
first line is distinct, wavy, extending from +4 of costa to near the 
middle of the dorsum; the claviform is indicated by a minute 

