
AI—THE 
CRAMBUS. SCHEDIAS. 
(Crambus schedids, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., :xliii., 60.) 
(Plate XX., fig. 33 @.) 
This seems to be a very local species. At present it - 
has only been found at Wellington but is probably often 
overlooked. 
The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. Apart from its 
smaller size it differs from C. callirrhous in having the fore-wings 
slightly narrower; the ground colour slightly, browner; the head 
and a broad central band on the thorax shining white and the 
hind-wings less tinged with grey. Fhe absence of the more 
numerous, prolonged, and well-defined interneural streaks is also 
a good distinctive character. 
The perfect insect appears in March and April, fre- 
quenting open grassy places near the sea-coast. 
CRAMBUS, PEDIAS. 
(Crambus pedids, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii., 137.) 
(Plate XX., fig. 32) ¢.) 
This rather small, dull-looking species, has occurred at 
Wanganui, Masterton and Wellington. 
The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The fore-wings 
are pale brownish-ochreous, faintly clouded with grey in the 
disc; there is an almost Straight narrow white streak from the 
base to the termen above the middle; all the veins are faintly 
marked in white edged with grey: The hind-wings are very pale 
brownish-ochreous; the head and a central band on the thorax 
are dull white. 
Somewhat variable in the depth of the ground colour 
and in the distinctness of the markings on the veins, of the 
fore-wings. Mr. Meyrick remarks that this species is most 
like C. callirrhous, but much duller and greyer, not brassy- 
tinged, and without the sharply defined white lines of that 
species; the antennae are whitish, not distinctly dentate in 
the male, and the termen of the fore-wings is somewhat 
more sinuate, distinetly dotted with black. 
The perfect insect appears in March and April, and 
frequents grassy places near rivers or on the sea’ coast. It 
is attracted by light. 
CRAMBUS SIMPLEX. 
(Chilo simplex, Butl., Proe. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, 400, Pl. xliii., 
12; Crambus simplex, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 24.) 
(Plate XX., fig. 14 @,15 9; Plate I1., fig. 34 larva, 35 pupa. ) 
This rather faintly-marked species has occurred at 
Napier, Waipukurau, Waiouru and Wellington in the 
North Island and seems to be common and generally dis- 
tributed throughout the South Island. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over 14 inches. The 
fore-wings of the male are moderately broad with the termen 
rather strongly oblique; in the female narrower with the apex 
produced and rather acute; pale ochreous; there is a very slen- 
der white streak from the base, close to the costa, broader to- 
wards the termen, and in the female broader throughout; the 
veins are more or less marked in white on the apical portions 
of the termen; there is a rather narrow, central, longitudinal, 
white streak from the base to the termen, narrower towards the 
base and slightly curved towards the termen; there is often a 
white streak along vein 1 towards the tornus. In the female all 
PYRALIDAE, 
the white markings are more suffused. The hind-wings are very 
pale whitish-grey in the male, white in the female. The cilia of 
all the wings are white. 
Mr. Meyrick points out that this species ‘‘ differs from 
all its allies by the clear pale ochreous ground-colour; the 
white markings (except the central streak) are more suf- 
fused, the cilia clear white, and the hind-wings paler, bemg 
quite white in the female.. In this and the allied species 
the central streak appears dark margined in part, but the 
effect is illusory, and, due to the presence of deep folds.’’ 
The life-history of this species was discovered, by Mr. 
R. M. Sunley :—The egg is oval with rather coarse longi- 
tudinal striations, pale ochreous, turning ight brown three 
or four days after being laid. It is deposited loosely and 
probably, in a state of nature, amongst the stems of the 
tussock grass (Poa caespitosay which constitutes the food 
of the larva. The young larva is about one-twelfth inch 
in length, tapering from head to tail. The head and back 
of the second segment are horny, black and shining; the 
rest of the body is yellowish-white and glassy-looking, with 
a brown dorsal line and several series of brown tubercles, 
each tubercle emitting a hair. It emerges by eating a hole 
in the egg, but does not eat the entire shell. Immediately 
after emergence it constructs a silken gallery. 
The full-grown larva is slightly over $ inch in length 
stout, the last two segments rapidly tapering. The head is 
dark brown with black markings; the second segment 
horny, shining, blackish-grey with black markings; the rest 
of the body dull greyish-ochreous and glassy-looking, the 
last segment being yellowish; there are several rows of 
black tubercles, each tubercle emitting a strong crooked 
black bristle; there is a dull, pinkish-brown dorsal line and 
two sub-dorsal lines, the dorsal area between and below 
these lines is tinged with dull yellow; there is a rather 
prominent lateral ridge and a deep fold behind the middle 
of each segment. The larva is sluggish in its habits, spin- 
ning much silk and living in galleries composed of silk and 
refuse situated at the base of the stems of the tussock grass 
where it is very hard to find. It feeds throughout the late 
summer, autumn and winter, changing into a pupa in the 
spring. The pupa is slightly under 4 inch in length, deep 
ochreous with the principal divisions marked in bright 
brown; the cremaster is dark-brown, rather clongate and 
slender. It is enclosed in a rough oval cocoon formed of 
the old larval gallery. The duration of the pupa state is 
about one month. 
The perfect insect appears from November till March, 
and usually frequents localities where the tussock grass 
grows freely. It is common on many of the coast hills 
near Wellington. 
CRAMBUS SIRIELLUS. 
(Crambus siriellus, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 25.) 
(Plate XX, fig. 28ia).) 
This fine species has been taken at’ Hamilton, Waima- 
rino, Waiouru (2,500 feet), Mount Ruapehu (4,500 feet) 

