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104 X.—THE GHOMETRIDAE. 
ASTHENA SCHISTARIA. 
(Asthena schistaria, Walk., Cat., xxiii., 782.) 
(Plate XUVIIL, fics Ay 20.) 
Aithough closely allied to Asthena subpurpureata and 
for very many: years confounded with that insect, this 
species may be immediately recognised by the characters 
set out in the following description. 
The expansion of the wings is seven-eighths of an inch. The 
fore-wings have the apex rather acute and the termen of the hind- 
wings in both seres gently rounded without any tooth; in the 
male the tornus is rounded, in the female angled. All the wings 
are pale greyish-ochreous; there are numerous indistinct paler 
wavy transverse lines, often obsolete, especially in the male and 
the edges of the median band are sometimes distinctly indicated, 
towards the dorsum, by clear fine blackish lines. The cilia of 
the hind-wings of the male are thick and long becoming brush- 
like and the claspers are much shorter than in Asthena subpur- 
pureata. 
The larva which feeds on manuka (Leptospermum) 
closely resembles that of A. subpurpureata but is generally 
slimmer with the pink markings absent; there are yellowish 
lateral lines and a fine blackish dorsal line. The habits of 
the two larvae appear identical and they are constantly 
found feeding together. 
The perfect insect appears from November till April, 
and is found in precisely the same localities as A. subpur- 
pureata. 
I am much indebted to Dr. A. Jefferis Turner, of 
Brisbane, for directing attention to the distinctions between 
Asthena schistarna and A. subpurpureata. 
Genus 9—EHUCHOECA Hibn. 
Face smooth, flat. Antennae in ¢@ ciliated. Palpi short, 
slender, loosely scaled. Fore-wings: areole simple. Hind-wings 
normal. 
Also small and widely distributed. 
Represented in New Zealand by one species only. 
EUCHOECA RUBROPUNCTARIA. 
(Ptychopoda rubropunctaria, Dbld., Dieff. N.Z., ii, 287. Asthena 
risata, Gn., Lep. ix. 488. Asthena mullata, Gn., E. M. M. 
v., 42. Asthena pulchraria, Walk., Cat. xxiii., 780; Butl., 
Cat. N.Z. Lep. pl. iii, 18 (nec. Dbld.). Hippolyte rubro- 
punctaria, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi., 60. Epicyme 
rubropunctaria, Meyr., ib. xviii, 184; Meyr. Proc. Linn. 
Soc. N.S.W., 1890, 811.) 
(Plate cians soe e400 oO) 
This little species is fairly common and generally dis- 
tributed throughout both the North and South Islands, 
and has also occurred at Stewart Island. 
The expansion of the wings is about { inch, All the wings 
are pale ochreous, with numerous obscure reddish transverse 
lines. On the fore-wings there are four transverse series of 
black dots; the first near the base, the second a little before 
the middle, the third a little beyond the middle, and the fourth 
on the termen; between the second and third series of dots there 
is, in the female, an elongate blackish patch, especially towards 
the dorsum; a small reddish spot is situated in the middle of 
the subterminal area. The hind-wings have three series of 

black dots; the first near the base, the second near the middle, 
often obscure, and the third on the termen. The termen of 
both fore- and hind-wings very slightly projects near the middle. 
This species varies considerably in the extent of the 
blackish marking near the middle of the fore-wings, as 
well as in the colour and intensity of the reddish trans- 
verse lines. 
The egg, which is laid flat, is about one-sixtieth of an inch 
in length, oval, considerably flattened, pale straw colour, 
iridescent, covered with rather large irregular hexagonal depres- 
sions. 
The larva, which was first observed by Fereday,* is about 
4+ inch in length; stout, slightly tapering at each end; the seg- 
ments deeply incised, slightly flattened dorsally and ventrally; 
general colour dull green, often much suffused with brown, 
blackish-olive, olive green, yellow, or pink; very variable; a very 
conspicuous white lateral line, clouded with darker above and 
paler beneath; a rather narrow darker dorsal line, containing 
a median series of white dots; four conspicuous white-ringed 
black dots, forming a trapezium on the back of each segment 5 
to 12 inclusive; several smaller dots on sides of segments above 
and below lateral line; each dot bears a stout black bristle. 
The foodplant is Haloragis erecta, a rather local her- 
baceous plant, sometimes found in dry situations, especially 
near the sea coast. 
The pupa is enclosed in a slight earth-covered. cocoon. 
The perfect insect appears from September till March. 
It is usually found in rather open situations near the sea- 
coast, where its foodplant is sometimes abundant. This 
species occurs in the Kermadec Islands and is common in 
New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Australian and 
New Zealand specimens are similar in appearance. 
Genus 10—VENUSIA Curt. 
Face smooth. Antennae in ¢@ bipectinated, apex simple. 
Palpi loosely scaled. Fore-wings: areole simple. Hind-wings 
normal. 
(Plate C., fig. 13 head of male; figs. 25 and 26 neuration of 
Venusia verriculata.) 
The typical species, Venusia cambrica, occurs through- 
out northern temperate regions, and there is also one from 
South America. We have five New Zealand species. 
VENUSIA VERRICULATA. 
(Cidaria verriculata, Feld., Reis. Noy. pl. cxxxi., 20 Panopoea 
verriculata, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi., 62. Pancyma 
verriculata, ib. xviii., 184.) 
(Plate XIII., fig. 9 @, 10 9; Plate L., fig. 22 larva.) 
This interesting species appears to be common and 
generally distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. All the 
wings are pale ochreous-brown, sometimes slightly tinged with 
reddish; there are many straight oblique parallel dull brown 
lines; on the fore-wings three lines are broader and more 
isolated than the rest and run from the apex to the dorsum; on 
the hind-wings the lines near the middle are rather thicker than 

*Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvi., 60. 
