AXI—THE PYRALIDAE, 
tains variety has the greatest wing-expanse, though pro- 
portionately narrower than the Wakatipu form; there is 
considerable admixture of white and ochreous, especially 
in the female, and the markings are well-defined.* 
The perfect insect appears in January and frequents 
high mountains, flying with great rapidity in the hottest 
sunshine. It is the largest species of the genus. 
Genus 6—SCENOPLOCA, Meyr. 
Labial palpi with hairs of second joint produced beneath 
into an obliquely projecting tuft. Wings in @ much abbreviated, 
incapable of flight. Fore-wings with 7 separate, 8 and 9 stalked. 
Hind-wings with 4 and 5 connate, 6 widely remote from 7 at 
origin, 7 anastomosing with 8. 
Also endemic and derived from T'alis. 
Represented by one species only. 
SCENOPLOCA PETRAULA. 
(Scenoploca petrawa, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 9.) 
(Plate XIX., fig. 34 @.) 
At present this interesting species is only known from 
the Lyttelton Hills, where it was discovered by Mr. Mey- 
rick in the early eighties. Mr. S. Lindsay has re-discoy- 
ered it in the same locality. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is slightly over § 
inch, of the female about 4 inch. The fore-wings of the male 
are rather elongate, triangular, with the termen oblique; white 
with blackish-grey markings and very slightly tinged with 
ochreous; there is an irregular basal patch; a broad curved band 
preceding the first line and a narrow band following it; a large 
irregular discal patch, darker on the costa, surrounding a single, 
clear white, reniform spot; a conspicuous black sub-apical patch, 
and two wavy blackish transverse lines, indicating the position 
of the second line; a series of blackish terminal dots. The hind- 
wings are pale grey. The female has the fore-wings very nar- 
row oblong and the hind-wings proportionately shorter and 
rounded; the markings resemble those in the male but are 
cramped and obscured. j 
The larva is moderately stout, cylindrical, wrinkled, 
very sluggish; rather dark greyish-brown on the back, much 
lighter on the sides; the spots are minute blackish and 
obscure; the head brown. It feeds beneath a light shelter 
of silk on lichen dust on rocks, living in a erevice, and 
issuing forth beneath its shelter to feed. 
The perfect insect appears in March and, as the larva 
occurred in all its stages at the same time, there is probably 
a succession of broods in the year. Mr. Meyrick states 
that he found the insect plentifully, sitting on the face of 
the bare voleanie rock which projects in many places from 
the soil of the hills near Christchurch; it was reluctant to 
take wing, perhaps owing to the prevalence of high winds. 
The female when disturbed ram with considerable activity 
but was quite incapable of flying. 
The figure was taken from a specimen in the Fereday 
collection. 

*Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlix., PAW (G 
Genus 7.—TALIS, Guen. 
Fore-wings with 4 and 5 sometimes stalked, 7 separate, 8 
and 9 stalked. Hind-wings with 4 and 5 connate, stalked, or sel- 
dom coincident, 6 remote from 7 at origin, 7 anastomosing with 
8. 
An interesting genus, considerably developed in Aus- 
tralia, where it is the principal representative of the fam- 
ily, elsewhere apparently confined to a few widely scattered 
forms. Their habits are similar to those of Crambus. 
Only one species is known in New Zealand. 
TALIS LEUCOPHTHALMA. 
(Talis leucophthalma, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 7.) 
(Plate XXI., fig. 35 @.) 
This species was discovered by Mr. Meyrick at Christ- 
church in 1882. It has recently been re-discovered by Mr. 
S. Lindsay on Mount Grey, North Canterbury. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly under } inch. The 
fore-wings, which have the apex acute, are pale brown with 
darker brown markings; there is an interrupted longitudinal 
streak at the base; the first line is extremely jagged, paler 
edged with dark brown; there is a very conspicuous elongate 
oblique whitish discal mark, edged with dark brown, represent- 
ing the reniform; the second line, which has numerous fine den- 
tations, is strongly bowed outwards on its upper half, and there 
is a series of minute terminal dots. The hind-wings are greyish- 
ochreous, darker on the termen. 
The perfect insect was taken in March, and was re- 
stricted to one place'on the Lyttelton Hills, where it was 
fairly common. Mr. Lindsay’s specimens were captured in 
November. 
Described and figured from one of the original speci- 
mens kindly given to me by Mr. Meyrick. 
Genus 8—DIPTYCHOPHORA, Zell. 
Fore-wings with termen twice sinuate, 7 separate, 8 and 9 
stalked, 11 usually running into 12. Hind-wings with 4 rarely 
absent (not in New Zealand species), 5 separate, rising from 
above angle, 6 remote from 7 at origin, 7 anastomosing shortly 
with 8. (Plate D., fig. 17, 18 neuration of Diptychophora metalli- 
fera.) 
Probably ‘Indo-Malayan in origin, being fairly repre- 
sented in that region, and less numerously in South Afriea, 
Kast Australia, and South America; but the New Zealand 
species still form the largest local group, and include the 
largest and handsomest species. This very interesting genus 
includes some of the most beautiful species of Pyralidae 
found in New Zealand, several of them being veritable 
gems of the insect world. The species are all rather small, 
with broadly triangular fore-wings, usually elegantly 
marked, the markings consisting typically of two slender 
transverse lines, a white or metallic discal spot, and gener- 
ally three black spots on lower part of termen. Most of 
the species appear in early summer and frequent damp 
forests. The rich yellow and orange-brown colouring of 
many of the species is probably imitative of the hues of 
fallen leaves, especially those of Fuchsia excorticata, which 

