IX.—THE 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The fore- 
wings are dark grey; the transverse lines are distinct wavy, 
margined, with black; there is a black subterminal band, widest 
and most distinct near the costa; the orbicular spot is very 
minute and dull white; the reniform, which is surrounded by a 
black shading, is large, dull yellowish towards the costa, and 
white towards the termen. The hind-wings are dark grey. The 
females are generally much darker than the males, some speci- 
mens having the fore-wings very dark brownish-black. 
Both sexes vary a good deal in the depth of colouring, 
but the markings appear to be quite constant: 
The larva, which feeds on low plants, is dark brown, 
tinged with pink; the subdorsal region is paler, there is 
a series of diagonal blackish stripes on each segment, and 
the anterior portions of the larva are much darker than 
the rest of the body. It is full grown about January. 
The pupa state is spent in the earth. 
The perfect insect appears from November till March. 
It is very common at the flowers of the white rata, and 
may also be attracted by sugar and by light. 
Genus 18.—SPODOPTERA, Guen. 
Face without prominence, antennae in male ciliated. Thorax 
clothed chiefly with scales, with posterior spreading crest. Abdo- 
men with dorsal crest at base. 
A small widely distributed genus, of which two species 
have a very extensive range, one of which reaches New 
Zealand. 
SPODOPTERA MAURITIA. 
(Spodoptera maduritia, Boisd., Faun. Ent. Madag. Lép., 92, pl. 
xiii. 9; Hamps., Cat., viii. 256; Orthosia margarita, Hawth., 
Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxix. 283; Huds., N.Z. Moths, 6.) 
(Plate X., fig. 21 @.) 
This species was taken in Wellington by Mr. E. F. 
Hawthorne thirty years ago, but does not appear to have 
been met with since. It is evidently a very rare insect 
in New Zealand. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The fore 
wings are pale dull brown and rather glossy; there are several 
obscure dark marks near the base; the orbicular is oval, oblique, 
brownish-yellow, slightly darker in the middle; the claviform is 
almost obsolete; the reniform is rather large, bordered with dull 
white towards the base and termen; the second line is distinct 
wavy, edged with black; the subterminal line is whitish with 
several black wedge-shaped markings on its inner edge. The 
hind-wings are shining white and iridescent, with the veins 
black and the costae and termen narrowly shaded with black. 
Superficially somewhat similar to Huxoa radians but 
immediately distinguished from that species by the absence 
of antennal pectinations in the male. 
The larva feeds on rice and perhaps other cereals. 
The perfect insect appears in April. This species is 
common throughout South Asia, Africa, Australia and the 
Pacifie Islands. 
Genus 19—COSMODES, Guen. 
Face without prominence. Antennae in male ciliated. 
‘Thorax clothed chiefly with scales, with anterior and posterior 
NOCTUIDAE. 17 
crests. Abdomen with dorsal crests towards base and large crest 
on third segment. Fore-wings with scale tooth at tornus, termen 
angulated on vein 3. 
The single species occurs apparently naturally in both 
Australia and New Zealand, but probably the former 
country is its home. It approaches the Asiatic Canna. 
COSMODES ELEGANS. 
(Phalaena elegans, Don. Ins. New Holl, pl. xxxvi. 5; Cosmodes 
elegans, Gn., Noct. vi. 290; Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. 
35.) 
(Plate XK., fig 17 9.) 
This beautiful species is generally distributed through- 
out the North Island. In the South Island it has been 
taken at Nelson, Christchurch, and Governor’s Bay. 
The expansion of the wings is 14 inches. The fore-wings 
are rich chocolate-brown, with four large pale green spots mar- 
gined, with silver; there is a curved silvery mark near the apex. 
The hind-wings are cream-coloured, shaded pinkish-brown towards 
the termen. 
The larva feeds on Lobelia. 
The perfect’ insect appears in March and April. 
This species is found commonly in Eastern Australia. 
Sub-family 5.—HyPENIDEs. 
Vein 8 of hind-wings shortly anastomosing with cell near 
base, thence diverging, vein 5 well developed nearly parallel to 
4, 
Genus 20.—HYPENODES, Guen. 
Head with frontal tuft. Antennae in male ciliated. Palpi 
very long, porrected, second joint thickened with rough project- 
ing scales, terminal rather short or moderately long, cylindrical. 
Thorax with appressed scales. Abdomen with small crest on 
basal segment. Tibiae smooth-scaled. Fore-wings with vein 7 
separate, 9 and 10 out of 8. 
There are two species in New Zealand. 
HYPENODES COSTISTRIGALIS. 
(Hypenodes costistrigalis, Steph., Ill. Brit. Ent., iv. 20; Hypen- 
odes exsularis, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xx. 46; Scoparia 
triangulalis, Huds., Ent. Mo. Mag. lix. 64.) 
(Plate X., fig. 9 @.) 
This rather inconspicuous little insect has occurred in 
the North Island at Kaeo, Taranaki, and Paekakariki. In 
the South Island it has been found in the Buller Gorge 
and at Invereargill. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is about 1 inch; 
of the female # inch. The fore-wings of the male, which have 
the apex rather blunt and the termen slightly convex, are pale 
brown or pale yellowish-white; there is a large, somewhat tri- 
angular darker brown patch on the outer portion of the costa 
and a cloudy suffusion on the termen, leaving a distinctly paler 
«apical patch; the-other portions of the wing are very thinly 
sprinkled with:darker brown and there is a terminal series of 
black dots, sometimes elongated into a series of triangles. The 
hind-wings are ochreous-grey. In the female the fore-wings are 
very dull greyish-ochreous; a paler spot and two blackish marks 
are situated in the disc, and the costal and terminal areas are 
slightly clouded with dull brownish-grey; there is a very indis- 

