AI—THE PYRALIDAE, 
The perfect insect appears in December and January, 
but is rarely met with. 
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Phil- 
pott’s collection, which he captured on the coast sandhills. 
CRAMBUS XANTHOGRAMMUS. 
(Crambus xcanthogrammus, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 32.) 
(Plate xox. tes ibieo 
This interesting species has occurred on the Wairarapa 
Plain in the North Island. In the South Island it has been 
taken at Kekerangu (Marlborough), Motueka, Lake Cole- 
ridge, Castle Hill, Bealey River, Te Wae Wace Bay, Mace- 
town, Ida Valley, and at Paradise and the Routeburn Val- 
ley, at the head of Lake Wakatipu. 
The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The fore-wings 
are silvery white, strongly tinged with blue towards the termen; 
there is a Small irregular dark brownish-grey mark near the 
base; another at about 4; an interrupted wavy transverse band 
of the same colour at 4; @ second similar band at 3, followed by 
a much broader band on the termen; the principal veins near 
the dorsum are broadly marked in dull orangeryellow, and the 
transverse bands become dull orange-yellow just before they 
reach the dorsum; the cilia are shining white at the base and 
dark grey at the apex. The hind-wings are silvery white, shaded 
with grey at the apex. 
The perfect insect appears in January and February. 
It frequents river-beds and although very local is usually 
abundant where found. Its flight is rapid, and the mark- 
ings on the fore-wings' are so arranged, that they cause the 
insect to exactly harmonise in colour with small pebbles in 
the river-bed. As the moth invariably rests in these situa- 
tions, with closed wings, it is practically invisible, except 
when actually flying, and hence its capture is generally 
attended with some difficulty. 
Genus 3.—PROTYPARCHA, Meyr. 
Antennae in ¢@ unipectinated to apex. Thorax, coxae, and 
femora, clothed with long loose hairs beneath. Fore-wings with 
7 separate, 8 and 9 stalked. Hind-wings with 4 and 5 approxi- 
mated, 7 connate with 6, anastomosing shortly with 8. (Plate 
D., figs. 7, 8 neuration of Protyparcha scaphodes 4, fig. 9 head 
of ditto. fig. 10 antenna of ditto). 
At present includes only the following species: <A 
development of Argyria. 
PROTYPARCHA SCAPHODES. 
(Protyparcha scaphodes, Meyr., Sub-antarctic Islands of New 
Zealand, 71.) 
(Plate XX., fig. 40 ¢@.) 
This very sharply marked and interesting little species 
was discovered at Auckland Island, during the scientific 
expedition of November, 1907. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over } inch. The 
fore-wings have the apex somewhat produced and the termen 
oblique; rather bright brownish-ochreous; there is a conspicuous 
white dorsal band from near the base to the tornus extending 
upwards to the apex as a gradually attenuated sub-terminal 
streak; a short black mark on the dorsum at the base and a 
rather broad cloudy black shading in the dise along the edges 
of the white band; the costal margin is narrowly edged with 
white to about 3. The hind-wings are grey. The cilia of all the 
wings are white with a grey basal line. 
The perfect insect appears in the middle of November. 
It frequents the open tussock country on the main island, 
where it seems to be fairly common. It only flies during 
hot sunshine, and is very active and inconspicuous. 
Genus 4—ARGYRIA, Hiibn. 
Antennae in ¢ ciliated. Fore-wings with 7 separate, 8 and 
9 stalked. Hind-wings with 4 and 5 connate or stalked, 7 out of 
6, anastomosing with 8. (Plate D., figs. 14, 15 Neuration of 
Argyria pentadactyla; figs. 16 head of ditto). 
A genus of some extent and wide distribution, but 
more especially American. 
We have two species in New Zealand. 
ARGYRIA STROPHABA, 
(Argyria strophaea, Meyr., Trans. Ent. Soe. Lond., 1905, 226.) 
(Plate XIX., fig. 35 9.) 
Hitherto this species has only been recorded from 
Whakarewarewa, Raurimu, Wanganui and Wellington. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over 3 inch. The 
fore-wings are pale grey, very glossy, with strong brassy reflec- 
tions; there is a very short transverse blackish line at the base 
bordered on each side with white; the first line is white, oblique, 
bordered with blackish grey darker towards the termen; the 
orbicular spot is blackish-grey, the reniform whitish, often rather 
obscure; the second line is whitish, very oblique, edged with 
dark grey; the terminal area is more or less clouded with darker 
grey; there is an obscure wavy sub-terminal line and a series 
of obscure terminal dots. The hind-wings are pale grey, very 
glossy, with a broad darker grey terminal Shading. The cilia of 
all the wings are pale grey half barred with dark grey. 
The perfect insect appears in January, and usually 
frequents stony roadside cuttings, especially in the vicinity 
of forest, but is not at all common. It has a superficial 
resemblance to Diptychophora elaina, but is of course con- 
siderably larger and darker in colour. 
ARGYRIA, PENTADACTYLA. 
(Argyria pentadactyla, Zell., Mon. Crambs., 38; Aquita clavi- 
ferella, Walk., Cat. xxxv., 1765; Aphomia strigosa, Butl., 
Proc. Zool, Soc., Lond., 1877, 398, pl. xliii., 10; Crambus 
strigosus, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 31.) 
(Plate XX., fig. 48 4.)! 
This large and rather striking looking insect seems to 
be generally distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is from 1} to 1% inches. The 
fore-wings are rather broad with the apex and termen strongly 
rounded, pale greyish brown with white and blackish-grey mark- 
ings; there is an irregular black central stripe from the base to 
about 4 ending in three irregular spots; an extremely jagged 
black transverse line at about } followed by a similar white line; 
a series of horizontal greyish-brown stripes between these lines 
and the termen; the veins are indistinctly outlined in white. 
The hind-wings are pale ochreous, slightly shaded with brown 
near the apex. 

