III—HABITS AND DISTRIBUTION OF N.Z. LEPIDOPTERA. 13 
wing for a very short period, generally during the first 
fortnight in February, and has a provoking habit of flying 
amongst the branches of the beeches just out of reach, 
it is a very difficult species to obtain. It is a noteworthy 
fact that this is the only Satyrid found in the North Island. 
Specimens from the South Island are usually smaller and 
less robust than those from the North. D. helmsi may be 
allied to the Australian Oreixenca kershawt. 
The large and brilliant Diadema bolina has occurred 
at quite a number of localities in the North Island and 
Northern part of the South Island. It is usually found in 
gardens or fields, and from its gorgeous appearance when 
on the wing, is readily identified. In this country it must 
be regarded as a rare and distinguished visitor, but it is 
common throughout Australia, Java, Sumatra, and many 
of the Pacific Islands. The three species of the beautiful 
genus Vanessa are also frequently observed in cultivated 
districts, and like their congeners in other lands have a 
distinct preference for hill-tops. V. gonerilla, which is 
perhaps the most brilliantly coloured butterfly endemic 
to New Zealand, is a most familiar garden insect, and is 
found in more or less abundance in warm sunny spots 
throughout the entire country. V. cardwi frequents dry 
roads, or river beds, delighting to rest on stones, and flying 
away with great rapidity on the approach of an intruder. 
It is probably the most difficult of our butterflies to capture. 
V. itea seems to be confined to the North Island and 
northern portions of the South Island, but this species and 
V. cardw are most uncertain in their appearance. Both 
are found in Australia, and V. cardui is practically cosmo- 
politan. In some years these two butterflies are tolerably 
common, whilst at other times several seasons may pass 
without our meeting with a single specimen. All three 
species of Vanessa appear to hybernate as perfect insects, 
as worn specimens of each have been taken in early spring. 
Another butterfly of very irregular appearance is Precis 
velleda. During one or two seasons large numbers of this 
common Australian insect were observed on the shores of 
Cook Strait, but generally speaking it is not seen. Like 
V. cardwi it is fond of dry, stony places, and as its flight 
and general appearance is suggestive of that species, it 
may be sometimes overlooked. 
In the extensive family Lycaenidae, which includes the 
familiar Copper and Blue butterflies, Chrysophanus 
salustius is without doubt the commonest and most gener- 
ally distributed butterfly in New Zealand, its range extend- 
ing from the far North of Auckland to Invercargill. It 
frequents alike glades in forests, sunny scrub and open 
grassy country, and is often very common in gardens, fields, 
and along roadsides. It is a merry little insect, and its 
brilliant colouring, abundanee, and great variability com- 
bine to render it one of our most interesting species. The 
much darker and less brilliant C. enyst is found princip- 
ally in the North Island and the extreme North of the 
South Island. It frequents openings in forests, but it is 
very much more rarely met with than C. salustius. The 
brilliant little metallic purple C. boldenarum, our. smallest 
butterfly, is frequently very common in dry river beds in 
both Islands, and is often found on stony roadways and 
paths near rivers as well as high up on mountains. — It 
needs a very bright light to fully reveal the refulgent 
colouring of the male. This very interesting insect exhibits 
much variation in the markings on both the upper 
and under surfaces of the wings. These three New Zea- 
land species of Chrysophanus are endemic, but closely 
allied to forms found in Chili and in the Northern Hemis- 
phere. Of the ‘‘Blue’’ butterflies the dingy little 
Lycaena labradus is very common in many localities from 
the Far North of Auckland to Lake Wakatipu, usually 
frequenting dusty roadsides or dried-up pastures. It is a 
wide-ranging species, being also found throughout Australia 
and in many of the South Sea Islands. 
Of the very conspicuous and handsome family of 
Hawk-moths (Sphingidae) (Plate VI., figs. 15, 16), we 
have but two species in New Zealand, both insects 
of very powerful flight and wide distribution. These 
are no doubt casual immigrants, quite unconnected 
with the original fauna of the country. Deile- 
phila celerio, known in England as the Silver Striped 
Hawk-moth, first appeared in New Zealand in the 
year 1903. It is extremely rare, and so far has only 
occurred in the Auckland, Cook Strait, and Invereargill 
districts. Elsewhere its range extends throughout West, 
Central and Southern Europe, South Asia, Africa, and 
Australia. Sphinx convolvuli has been known in New Zea- 
land from the earliest times, and is common in the Northern 
portions of the North Island. It is practically cosmo- 
politan, having been found with slight geographical varia- 
tions throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and 
America. Both these insects fly with extreme velocity at 
evening dusk and, with their long probosces, extract honey 
from flowers, without settling, whilst poised in the air above 
them. 
The beautiful family Arctiadae (Plate VI.), popularly 
known as ‘‘ Tiger Moths’’ and ‘‘Footmen,’’ is very sparsely 
represented in New Zealand. The peculiar genus Metacrias 
is our only exponent of the true Tiger Moths. In this 
genus the females are wingless, but the very active and 
gaily coloured males fly with great rapidity in the hottest 
sunshine. With the exception of M. strategica, which is 
commonest on the tussock plains of Southland, these in- 
sects are restricted to mountainous regions usually over 
4,000 feet above the sea level. The wide ranging Utetheisa 
pulchella, known in England as the ‘‘Crimson Speckled,”’ 
occurs very rarely in New Zealand and is evidently a casual 
immigrant, but the allied black white-spotted Nyctemera 
annulata is everywhere extremely abundant, being found 
throughout’ both North and South Islands and Stewart 
Island. It flies most freely in the early morning sunshine, 
but it is on the wing all day, and is often mistaken for a 
butterfly by the uninitiated. 


