VI—THE BUTTERFLIES. P 29 
A large group of very general distribution. The 
species are usually of moderate size, generally dark coloured 
with light bands or spots, and with several round, black, 
white-centred spots on lower surface. Some of them are 
more fond of shady places than is customary amongst but- 
terflies. The larve feed on grasses. 
Of this sub-family we have three genera represented 
in New Zealand :— 
1. ARGYROPHENGA. 2. Doponipi1A. 3. EREBIA. 
Genus 1.—ARGYROPHENGA. 
Eyes glabrous. Club of antennae somewhat abrupt. Fore- 
wings with lower margin of cell greatly dilated towards base; 
veins 8, 9, 10, and 11 out of 7; vein 12 greatly dilated towards 
base. 
Of this genus there is one species in New Zealand, con- 
fined to the South Island. Two other species, as well as 
two species belonging to the closely allied genus Argyro- 
phorus, occur in the mountains of Chili. 
ARGYROPHENGA ANTIPODUM, Doubleday. 
(Argyrophenga antipodum, Doubleday, Ann. and Mag. Nat. 
Hist. xvi., 307 (1845); Gen. Diurn. Lepid., pl. 63, fig. 6 (1851); 
Butler, Erebus and Terror Lep., pl. 8, figs. 4, 7 (1874). 
(Plate IV., fig. 6 @, 7 9 Dun Mountain form; 13 4,14 @ moun- 
tain form from Canterbury and Otago; 18 under side, 19 4, 
209, Canterbury and Otago lowland form; Frontispiece, fig. 
2 egg; Plate I., fig. 8 larva, 9 pupa.) 
This species occurs commonly on the tussock lands from 
Christchurch to Invereargill. In the provinces of Nelson 
and Marlborough it is, I believe, confined to situations hav- 
ing elevations of from 2,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea- 
level. It has never been captured in the North Island. 
The expansion of the wings varies from 14 to 1% inches. 
Above, all the wings are dull brown, paler near the body; the 
outer portion of each is covered with a large patch of bright 
orange-brown (northern form), or fawn colour (southern form) ; 
on the forewings this patch contdins a large oval black spoi, 
with two white dots in the middle; on the hind-wings there are 
two, three, or four black spots, with one white dot in the centre 
of each; beneath, the markings on the fore-wings resemble those 
or the upper surface, except that there are often several short 
silvery stripes near the apex; the hind-wings are dull yellow, 
with silver streaks between the veins, and one broader streak in 
the centre of the wing. The female is much paler than the 
male, with the borders of the wings whitish. 
This imsect is extremely variable. The colouring ap- 
pears to be much influenced by local conditions. On the 
Dun Mountain, Nelson district, at an clevation of about 
2,700 feet, a very small hight form occurs in which the sexes 
are almost exactly alike. There are only two perfect spots 
on the upper surface of the hind-wings; the other spot is 
rudimentary, and has no white central dot. On the under 
side there are no silver stripes near the apex of the fore- 
wings, and only five or six silver stripes on the marginal 
portions of the hind-wings (see Plate IV., figs. 6 and 7). 
At Kekerangu, on the ‘‘ Chalk Range,’’ at an elevation of 
from 3,000 to 4,000 feet, a similar but slightly larger form 
occurs. On the Tableland of Mount Arthur, Nelson dis- 
trict, 3,600 to 4,600 feet above the sea-level, the females are 
paler than in either of the preceding forms, and the males 
darker, so that the sexes are well marked; but there are no 
silvery stripes on the under side of the apex of the fore- 
wings, and usually only five stripes on the marginal por- 
tions of the hind-wings. Finally, in the Awatere, Canter- 
bury, Otago and Southland butterflies (southern lowland 
form), we have the large, very dark reddish-brown coloured 
male insect with large ocelli, and the extremely pale yellow 
female with small ocelli, the two sexes here exhibiting the 
ereatest differentiation. On the under side, the male has 
several small silver stripes near the apex of the fore-wings, 
and seven stripes on the marginal portions of the hind- 
wings. (See Plate IV., figs. 18, 19, and 20.) In elevated 
situations in Canterbury, Otago and Southland, however, 
somewhat similar varieties occur to those found 
on the mountains in Nelson and Marlborough, but the but- 
terflies from the southern mountains are usually larger in 
size. (See Plate IV., figs. 13, 14.) 
Besides these general variations, which appear to be 
largely dependent on local conditions, great individual vari- 
ability exists with respect to the number and size of the 
ocelli or white-centred spots. In some specimens there are 
no ocelli on the hind-wings; in others, two, three, or four 
very minute ones, whilst others have all four very large. 
Oceasionally specimens have a minute ocellus below the 
large one on the fore-wings. Were it not for the inter- 
mediate varieties, there would probably be little hesitation 
in separating the extreme forms of this insect into several 
distinet species; but as they are connected by a host of in- 
termediate forms, it is quite impossible even to divide them 
into varieties. 
The egg is cylindrical, abruptly truncated above and 
rounded beneath, very pale ochreous-brown irregularly mottled 
with warm brown; there are about sixteen prominent, whitish, 
longitudinal ribs. 
The larva, when first hatched, is about _8_ inch in length. 
The head is very large, pale, pinkish straw-colour, with two long, 
and about eight short, stout, black bristles. There is a row of 
black bristles around the second segment. The body gradually 
tapers towards the tail and is pale pinkish straw-colour. There 
is a broad, brown, darker-edged lateral line, and fine, brown 
dorsal and sub-dorsal lines. The terminal segment is slightly 
bifid and furnished with numerous, rather long bristles. The 
food-plant is tussock-grass (Poa caespitosa). 
The full-grown larva is about 1 inch in length. The top of 
the head is furnished with a very large process, which projects 
forwards. The body is much attenuated towards the tail, which 
is bifid. The general colour is green, darker on the lateral and 
ventral regions; there are broad, yellowish-green dorsal and 
lateral lines and several very fine lines between these. The legs 
and projegs are very small, There are four wrinkles on the pos- 
terior edge of each segment, and the whole larva is covered 
with very fine greenish hairs, giving the insect a somewhat vel- 
vety appearance. Some larve are pale brown, with the prin- 
cipal lines finely margined in reddish or darker brown. 
When feeding, this caterpillar rests on a blade of the 
tussock, where it is very inconspicuous. It appears to pre- 
fer the dead or drier portions of the grass, and feeds and 

