X.—THE GEOMETRIDAE. 131 
LYTHRIA PERORNATA. 
(Fidoma perornata, Walk., Cat. xxvi., 1672; Pasithea perornata, 
Meyr., Trans. N.Z, Inst. xvi., 87; Notoreas perornata, ib., 
XVill., 184.) 
(Plate XV., figs. 41-43 9, varieties; Plate II., figs. 32, 33 larvae.) 
This very pretty little insect has occurred at Whaka- 
papa (Ruapehu), Waimarino, Waiouru, Palmerston North 
and Wellington in the North Island. It is generally dis- 
tributed throughout the South Island. 
The expansion of the wings is from 3 to fully 1 inch. The 
fore-wings are dark brownish-black, with five transverse white 
or orange-yellow lines, which vary considerably both in widtir 
and colour in different specimens, the two basal lines are almost 
straight, the rest are wavy, the last but one has, near the middle, 
a strong projection towards the termen. The hind-wings are 
bright orange, with three or four more or less broken black 
transverse lines. The termen is narrowly bordered with black; 
the cilia of all the wings are white, more or less distinctly 
barred with blackish-brown. 
There is considerable local and general variation. The 
form from Mount Ruapehu (Whakapapa) is very large; 
the ground colour almost black, with narrow orange-brown 
bands on the fore-wings, and broader orange-brown bands 
on the hind-wings, the whole insect having a very dark 
appearance. A very similar, but somewhat smaller and 
paler form (fig. 42), occurs at Waiouru. Specimens from 
Wellington (fig. 41), are usually small, with the transverse 
lines on the fore-wings mostly white; those from Mount 
Arthur and Arthur’s Pass usually have the transverse lines 
on the fore-wings broader and mostly white. Specimens 
from the Kaikouras have the transverse bands of fore- 
wines very broad and entirely pale yellow. The mountain 
form from Lake Wakatipu (fig. 43), closely resembles the 
Wellington form, but is larger and has the white bands 
on the fore-wings wider and more suffused with yellow. 
Intermediate forms between all these local varieties are 
frequently met with. 
The larva, which was discovered by Mr. R. M. Sunley, 
is slightly over 4 inch in length, stout, and uniform in thick- 
ness, except near the head and tail where it’ tapers very 
rapidly. One variety is rather pale green, more or less 
speckled with white, with the head and anterior portion 
of the second segment yellowish-brown and the segmental 
divisions wrinkled and marked in yellow; there is a con- 
spicuous broken white lateral line with black marks at the 
segmental divisions, and the posterior extremity is dull 
yellow. The other variety is orange-brown with a broad 
pale orange dorsal stripe, several fine wavy white lines, 
and a series of dark marks between the segments. This 
larva is very sluggish in its habits. It feeds on Pimelea 
prostrata, a dwarf shrubby plant which grows commonly 
on cliffs near the sea coast, sometimes reaching to consider- 
able elevations. 
The perfect insect appears from November till April, 
flying actively in the hot afternoon sunshine. It is some- 
times locally abundant, and is often found on mountains 
as high as from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea-level. 
LYTHRIA CATAPYRRHA. 
(Fidonia catapyrrha, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, 392, 
pl. xliii., 2; Stratonice catapyrrha, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. 
Inst. xvi., 64; Stratonice euclidiata, ib. xvii., 63; Arctesthes 
euclidiata, ib. xviii., 184; Arcteuthes euclidiata, ib. xx., 47; 
Lythria euclidiata, Huds., N.Z. Moths, 68.) 
(Plate XV., fig. 6 @.) 
This pretty little species has occurred in the South 
Island at Lake Rotoiti, near Nelson, Kaikoura Mountains, 
Lake Guyon, Lake Tekapo, Otira Gorge, Wedderburn, Cen- 
tral Otago, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu, and Mount Linton, 
near Invereareill. 
The expansion of the wings is # inch. The fore-wings are 
dark greyish-brown with black and white markings; there is a 
curved black transverse line near the base, followed by a white 
line, then two black lines close together followed by another 
white line, then a broad black line followed by a pale median 
band containing a well-marked discal dot, beyond this there are 
two angulated black lines, and a very conspicuous white line; 
there is a broad black shading on the termen, traversed by’ a 
rather obscure fine whitish subterminal line. The hind-wings 
are rather narrow, yellowish-orange, speckled with black near 
the base, there is a strongly angulated black line near the middle, 
and blackish band near the termen. On the under side the fore- 
wings are yellow, with two black transverse bands from .the 
costa near the termen and a red mark near the apex; the hind- 
wings are streaked with white and yellow, and broadly bordered 
with red on the costa and termen; there are several broad black 
transverse bands. The female is usually paler than the male. 
This species is extremely variable in the extent of the 
white markings and general depth of the colouring of the 
fore-wings; also in the width of the dark transverse bands 
on the hind-wings. The red border on the costa and 
termen of the underside of the hind-wings is, however, a 
good character. 
A local varicty of this insect) occurs in the Kaikoura 
Mountains, having the upper side of the hind-wings bright 
orange. Another mountain form has the median band 
wholly black. 
The perfect insect appears from October till March, 
and frequents dry, open, sunny places, usually at elevations 
of from 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the sea-level. It is very 
abundant in the Dart Valley, at the head of Lake Waka- 
tipu. Generally speaking, however, it is a local species, and 
only found in restricted areas. There are evidently at 
least two broods in the season. 
LYTHRIA SIRIS. 
(Lythria siris, Huds., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xl., 106, pl. xv., 1.) 
(BlatesxXV. fig. 4 2, °5 92) 
This very neatly-marked little species was discovered 
by Mr. J. H. Lewis on the Old Man Range, Central Otago, 
at an elevation of about 4,000 feet. 
The expansion of the wings is a little over § inch. The 
fore-wings are slaty-grey, with light reddish-brown, black, and 
pale-yellowish markings; there is a very small grey basal patch, 
followed by a wavy transverse reddish-brown band; next two 
yellowish-white bands enclosing a very narrow yellowish-brown 
sub-basal area; then a strongly waved whitish line, followed by 

