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102 ' X.—THE GHOMETRIDAE. 
pale greyish-ochreous with many pale wavy brownish- 
ochreous lines; there are two rows of black warts with 
a short stout black bristle on each wart. It feeds on the 
soft green portions of the leaf close to the ground, and is 
evidently very sluggish and secretive in its habits. Later 
on the larvae become dull brownish-grey, and at this stage 
they very frequently rest standing on their prolegs with 
the anterior segments curled up. In this position the 
larva has a very striking resemblance to the small brownish- 
erey fungi which grow so profusely on old sticks or pal- 
ings lying on the ground during the winter months, and 
the value of this protective resemblance is therefore 
evident. 
The full-grown larva is about 1 inch in length, rather 
flattened and slightly tapering towards each end; sooty 
black with a broad brownish lateral stripe and one or two 
very obscure fine subdorsal lines; there are two whitish 
warts on the subdorsal regions of segments 4 to 12, each 
wart giving rise to a short black bristle; the spiracles are 
jet black. The larva varies considerably in the depth of 
its colouring, some individuals being almost entirely black 
with the lateral stripe hardly visible. It feeds at night 
on Plantago and probably other low plants, secreting itself 
during the daytime amongst the stalks. This larva lives 
through the whole winter and is most active on warm wet 
nights. It is full-grown about the end of August. 
The pupa is rather elongate, slightly dilated towards 
the lower end of the wing-cases, pale yellowish-brown. It 
is concealed in the earth near the roots of the foodplant. 
The perfect insect appears from the beginning of Jan- 
uary until the middle or end of March. It is most abun- 
dant on the edges of forest or amongst open scrub. Some 
forty years ago it appeared every summer in such enor- 
mous numbers that it was a perfect pest to the collector 
but, except in a few restricted localities far removed from 
settlement, its numbers have long since been greatly 
reduced. It is freely attracted by blossoms, sugar and 
light. 
) 
HYDRIOMENA PRIONOTA. 
(Arsinoe prionota, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi., 73. Anachloris 
prionota, ib., xviii., 184.) 
(Plate XDV TL fe. 29) 45730 o>) 
This species has occurred in the South Island at 
Gouland Downs, Castle Hill and Dunedin. 
The fore-wings, which have the termen rounded and slightly 
scalloped, are pale ochreous-brown with numerous dentate, dark 
brown transverse lines; in the male the costa and termen are 
often clouded with dull light green; there is a broad median 
band indistinctly clouded with brown, hardly perceptible in the 
female; the lines forming its outer edge are bent in the middle 
into a rather strong indented projection; in the male there is 
a cloudy dark brown subterminal line. The hind-wings are 
ochreous-whitish, with the termen strongly scalloped and the 
cilia reddish-brown; there are several incomplete transverse 
lines on the dorsum. 
Probably variable. 
There has been considerable confusion between this 
species and Xanthorhoe cedrinodes from which however it 
may be at once distinguished by the entire absence of anten- 
nal pectinations. 
The description has been taken from the original by 
Mr. Meyrick, and the figures from two specimens lent to 
me by Mr. Grimmett. 
HYDRIOMENA SUBOCHRARIA. 
(Aspilates (?) subochraria, Dbld., Dieff. N.Z. ii., 285. Campto- 
gramma subochraria, Butl., Cat. Lep. N.Z., pl., iii., 16. 
Camptogramma strangulata, Gn. Lep., x., 423. Campto- 
gramma fuscinata, Gn., EH. M. M. v., 92. Arsinoe suboch- 
raria, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi., 73; Meyr., Proc. Linn. 
Soc. N.S.W., 1890, 851; Aspilates euboliaria, Walk., Cat. 
XXVi., 1684.) 
(Platew xii nso Uae) 
This species is fairly common and. generally distri- 
buted throughout the country. It also occurs on Stewart 
Island and on the Chatham Islands. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The fore- 
wings are bright ochreous-yellow; there is a black dot. a little 
above the middle, and an oblique dark purplish-brown transverse 
band at about three-fourths; the termen is shaded with purplish- 
brown. The hind-wings are ochreous, with a very obscure 
central transverse line. 
A variety (Hydriomena fuscinata, Gn.) sometimes 
occurs in which the whole of the wings are more or less 
tinged with purplish-brown. 
The perfect insect appears from November till April. 
It chiefly frequents tussock country and swampy situations. 
In the Wellington district it is extremely abundant in the 
clearings at the foot of the Tararua Range. The typical 
form is common in Australia and Tasmania. 
HYDRIOMENA SUBRECTARIA. 
(Coremia subrectaria, Guen., Phal. x., 411; Cidaria responsata, 
Walk., Cat. xxv., 1409; Melanthia casta, Butl., Cist. Ent. 
ii, 553; Hydriomena subrectaria, Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. 
N.S.W., 1890, 829.) 
(Plate XIII., fig. 31 9.) 
This species was discovered at Queenstown, Lake 
Wakatipu by the late Mr. M. O. Pasco. It has also 
occurred on the Lyttelton Hills, near Christchurch. 
The expansion of the wings, is almost 1 inch. The fore- 
wings are greyish-ochreous very slightly tinged with pinkish 
and irregularly clouded and speckled with blackish-brown; the 
median band is blackish-brown margined with perfectly straight 
ochreous lines; there is a dark apical patch and a very wavy 
white subterminal line. The hind-wings are grey with two very 
regularly waved transverse lines. ; 
The perfect insect appears from November till March. 
This species is common and widely distributed in south- 
eastern Australia, which is doubtless its home. 
Deseribed and figured from the specimen in Mr. 
Pasco’s collection. 

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