X—THE 
near the middle followed by three smaller sinuations; imme- 
diately outside the median band the ground colour of the wing 
is almost white; the terminal area is blackish-grey, its inner 
edge very irregular, with many minute strigulae, those near 
costa almost reaching median band. The hind-wings are brilliant 
orange, paler near base; the basal third is densely sprinkled with 
blackish-grey strigulae, and there are a few irregular clusters 
of darker strigulae near tornus. The head, thorax, and abdomen 
are pale brownish-ochreous. The antennal pectinations are 
about 4. 
The perfect insect appears in December. 
Deseribed and figured from the unique specimen 
kindly lent to me by Mr. Philpott. 
SELIDOSEMA FASCIALATA. ; 
(Selidosema fascialata, Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxxv., 248, pl. 
2OG:00 hep) 
(Plate. figs Lea 2) Or.) 
This species, which is very closely allied to Selidosema 
productata, has occurred in the North Island on Mount 
Egmont and in the South Island at Nelson, Otira, Dunedin 
and Invereargill. It has also been taken at Stewart Island. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is 14 inches; of the 
female 12 inches. The fore-wings of the male have the basal 
patch pale brown and the first line slightly curved, usually rather 
broad and clear white; there is a very distinct dark chocolate 
brown median bund followed by the second line which is white 
with a slight indentation below the costa and a very slight 
rounded projection below the middle; the subterminal area is 
pale ochreous; there is a broad pale brown terminal band with 
cloudy dark brown patches below the apex and near the tornus, 
these being traversed by a very broken wavy white subterminal 
line. The hind-wings are pale ochreous. The female has similar 
markings but is very much paler than the male. 
There is no variation except in the depth of the 
colouring. 
The perfect insect appears from January till March, 
and frequents forest. It may also be taken on the flowers 
of the ragwort (Senecio jacobaea). Although very similar 
to Selidosema productata, it ean always be separated from 
that species by the peculiar form of the outer margin of 
the median band of the fore-wings. 
SELIDOSEMA PRODUCTATA. 
(Larentia productata, Walk. Cat. xxiv., 1197; Selidosema (?) 
fragosata, Feld. Reis. Nov. pl. exxxi., 29; Zylobara produc- 
tata, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi., 98; Selidosema fluminea, 
Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst. lvi., 389.) 
(Plate XVI., figs. 9 and 10 @ varieties, 11 9. 
fig. 26 @ sub-alpine variety.) 
Plate XLVIII., 
This species is common, and generally distributed 
throughout both the North and South Islands. It has also 
oceurred at. Stewart Island. 
The expansion of the wings is about 14 inches. The fore- 
wings vary from deep yellowish-brown to rich chocolate-brown 
usually covered with numerous small darker brown streaks; the 
first line is paler slightly bowed towards the termen, the second 
line outwards-curved near the middle, the two usually enclosing 
a rather distinct dark median band; the subterminal area is 
paler with disconnected dark patches below the apex and above 
GHOMETRIDAL. 139 
the tornus; there is a jagged, whitish subterminal line always 
broken in the middle, and often shaded with black towards the 
base of the wing. The hind-wings are ochreous, speckled with 
brown towards the dorsum; there is usually a brown discal dot. 
In the female the colouring is usually much paler than in the 
male; the first, second, and subterminal lines are often strongly 
marked in white, and there are sometimes cloudy white patches 
on the sub-basal and subterminal areas. 
This is a rather variable insect. In some specimens 
the colouring is almost uniform rich brown, and the char- 
acteristic markings can only be detected with difficulty. It 
may, however, be distinguished from the allied species by 
the very long antennal pectinations in the male, the inter- 
rupted pale jagyed subternunal line and the absence of 
greensh colouring. 
The eggs are oval-globose with numerous rows of hexa- 
gonal facets; they are pale green in colour and are laid 
irregularly in heaps adhering to each other, and to the 
surface on which they are deposited, by their sides; they 
turn bright reddish-brown a few days after being laid. 
The length of the egg is about one-fortieth of an inch. 
The young larva, when first hatched, is much atten- 
uated, pale ochreous with two very broad crimson-brown 
sub-dorsal lines and numerous black bristles on posterior 
segments. The full-grown larva measures about 14 inches 
in length; it is rather slender and has a large hump on the 
sixth segment. Its colour is dark reddish-brown, mottled 
and striped with dull white and greenish. 
It feeds on the white rata (Metrosideros scandens). 
During the day it firmly grasps a stem of its foodplant with 
its prolegs, holding the rest of its body out from the branch 
in a perfectly straight and rigid position. When in this 
attitude it so exactly resembles a twig, that, even in the case 
of captive specimens, it is often a matter of the greatest 
difficulty to find a caterpillar amongst the branches. Seve- 
ral times I have even caught hold of a larva, thinking it 
to be a twig, so perfect is the resemblance. At night 
these larvae become much more active, and by the aid of a 
lantern they may then be seen busily walking about and 
feeding. 
The pupa is enclosed in a slight cocoon about two 
inches below the surface of the earth. The larvae of the 
autumnal brood remain in this condition during the winter, 
but in the case of the spring and summer broods the pupa 
state only occupies a few weeks. 
The moth appears from October till May. It is very 
common in forest regions, and may be observed resting on 
the trunks of the trees, its pale yellow hind-wings being 
completely concealed by the deep brown fore-wings. In 
this position the insect is almost invisible, and the protec- 
tion afforded by its colouring is at once apparent. In the 
autumn evenings it is often very abundant at the blossoms 
of the white rata. 
A very handsome form of 8S. productata, discovered 
by Mr. Philpott) in the Flora River Valley, Mount 
Arthur, and _ recently described by him as S. 

