X.—THE 
The larva is coloured so that it harmonises very per- 
fectly with the bark of the manuka. It is of sluggish 
habits by day, and is usually seen sticking straight out, in 
a position exactly resembling a twig. 
The pupa is enclosed in cocoon of silk and refuse on 
the surface of the ground. 
The perfect insect appears in January, February and 
March. It is a forest-dwelling species, and may often be 
captured in some numbers, at dusk, on the flowers of the 
white rata (M. scandens). It is very sluggish and, when 
disturbed, nearly always drops to the ground and feigns 
death. 
DECLANA NIVEATA. 
(Declana niveata, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 500. Atossa niveata, Meyr., 
Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi., 104.) 
(Plates evil, feel 9 ay.) 
This delicate-looking species has occurred at Kaitoke, 
near Wellington, in the North Island, and at Temuka, 
Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu and Invercargill in the South 
Island. 
The expansion of the wings is 14 inches. The antennae of 
the male are, slightly dentate. The fore-wings are greyish-white, 
sometimes very slightly tinged with ochreous; the first, second 
and subterminal lines are faintly indicated in darker grey, and 
there is often an ill-defined median shade and a darker mottling 
on the subterminal area. The hind-wings are snow-white. 
The larva feeds on Rubus australis.* 
This species is very similar in general appearance to 
Declana floccosa. It may, however, be easily separated 
from any of the varieties of that insect, by its slightly 
smaller size, absence of distinct pectinations in the antennae 
of the male, and snow-white hind-wings. 
The perfect insect appears from September till March, 
and frequents forests. 
Section B.—Antennae in male bipectinated. 
DECLANA GRISHATA. 
(Declana griseata, Huds., N.Z. Moths, 98, pl. x., 32.) 
(PlateexaVvill, fis i574, 16 2.) 
This rather dull-looking species has occurred in the 
South Island at Waiho Gorge, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu, 
Invereargill and Orepuki. 
The expansion of the wings is from 14 to 12 inches. The 
fore-wings are dull slaty-grey, with a paler band at about 4; 
there is a fine oblique wavy transverse line at about one-fourth, 
another at about one-half, and indications of a third at about 
three-fourths; nwmerous minute black streaks are thickly scat- 
tered over the wing, especially near the base and the termen; 
the termen itself is very slightly waved. The hind-wings are 
pale grey, darker near the termen. The body is very dark 
slaty-grey. 
The perfect insect appears from September till May, 
and is attracted by light. It is a very scarce species. 

*Trans. N.Z, Inst., xlix., 214. 
GEOMETRIDAE. 
DECLANA FLOCCOSA. 
(Declana floccosa, Walk. Cat. xv., 1649. 
Cat. xxviii., 448. Declana nigrosparsa, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii., 
500. Declana floccosa, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi., 102.) 
(Plate XVIII., figs. 23-29 @ varieties; 30-34 92 ditto; 
Frontispiece, ‘fig. 17 egg.) 
Argua scabra, Walk. 
This pretty species is very common and generally 
distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is from 1% to 14 inches. The 
fore-wings are pale greyish-white, or pale ochreous brown, with 
numerous small dark brown or grey streaks, often exhibiting a 
slight concentration near the apex. The hind-wings are whitish- 
grey or pale brownish-ochreous, darker towards the termen 
(figs. 28 male, 31 female typical form). 
This insect is so extremely variable that I have given 
very brief descriptions of a few of the principal varieties below; 
all these forms may, however, be connected by specimens exhib- 
iting every intermediate gradation both in colour and in mark- 
ings, and in many cases the peculiarities of two or more variet- 
ies are combined in one individual. 
1. Fore-wings with several large brown spots near the 
middle (fig. 24). 
Fore-wings covered with 
formerly known as Declana 
33). 
. Fore-wings with two more or less conspicuous curved 
black, brown, or yellowish-red transverse lines (figs. 
Dome al L229 ye 
4, Fore-wings with these transverse lines joined by two 
others running parallel to dorsum and costa. An 
extreme form of this variety has all. the veins marked 
in black (figs. 27 and 30). 
Fore-wings with transverse lines and black spots. 
6. Fore-wings diffused with dark greyish-black, except two 
broad bands of the original light colour extending from 
costa to dorsum; hind-wings darker than usual (fig. 
25). 
7. Fore-wings with dark median band. 
bo 
black spots 
(figs. 32 
=f) 
numerous small 
Nigrvrosparsa) 
(su) 
or 
(Fig. 26). 
All these varieties occasionally have tufts of orange-yellow 
scales on both the wings and on the body, and they also vary in 
other minor particulars. 
The egg of this insect, which is laid upright, is oval, 
slightly smaller at one end, covered with numerous very minute 
depressions, and bronzy-green in colour. 
The young larva is very attenuated with only ten legs. 
Its colour is pale yellow striped with brownish-pink near 
the segmental divisions. It is very active, and does not devour 
the egg-shell after emergence. 
The full-grown larva has the body much flattened under- 
neath. In colour it is pale brownish-pink, with numerous irre- 
gular darker markings, which in some specimens almost form 
two broad sub-dorsal lines. The under surface of the larva is 
pale green. There is a series of fleshy filaments of a pinkish- 
brown colour along each side of the insect, and a pair of pro- 
legs on the ninth segment. 
This caterpillar is, however, very variable, its colour- 
ing appearing to depend to some extent on its surround- 
ings. The favourite foodplants are Leptospermum ericoides 
and Aristotelia racemosa. The larvae found on the former 
plant are usually pale yellowish-brown, whilst those from 
the latter are much darker brown, often mottled with grey 
like the stems of the Aristotelia. A specimen I once found 
feeding on a mountain beech (Nothofagus cliffortioides), 

