

AI—THE PYRALIDAE. 
also oceurred at Stewart Island, Chatham Islands and 
Auckland Island. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly under ~ inch. The 
fore-wings, which have the termen strongly indented below the 
apex, vary from pale orange yellow to. rich orange brown; there 
is a small blackish mark on the dorsum near the base; the first 
line is wavy white, dark margined towards the termen and obscure 
on the costa; there are two minute white dots above the middle 
with a short white line on the dorsum below; a conspicuous, 
broad, crescentic white spot on the costa at about #, black edged 
towards the termen,’ there is a broad oblique brownish shading 
from the two discal dots to the tornus and between the first 
line and the short line below the discal dots; there is a fine 
wavy blackish line near the termen. The hind-wings are pale 
ochreous, shaded with pale orange-brown towards the termen, 
with a large black lunule, a shaded black mark near the tornus, 
a very conspicuous black spot near the middle of the termen and 
a faint wavy sub-terminal line. 
Specimens of this insect from the extreme South, and 
sometimes elsewhere, are often paler and’ much duller than 
usual, being more like M. adwncalis, but are always easily 
distinguished from that species by the markings. 
The egg is rather clongate, ribbed, with numerous 
minute transverse depressions between the ribs, deep red 
in colour. 
The larva, which feeds on Histiopteris incisa, is about 
2 inch in length, bright green with darker dorsal and lat- 
eral lines, very stout, glassy-looking; the skin is consider- 
ably wrinkled, the head speckled with black and there is 
a row of stout black bristles on each segment. 
The perfect insect appears from November till March, 
and it is possible that there is more than one brood in the 
season. It frequents open forest, or brushwood, where its 
food-plant is common, and in these situations it is found 
from the sea-level to about 3,000 feet. The colouring of 
M. nitidalis is highly protective, its orange-brown fore- 
wings, approximating very closely both in shape and eolour 
to the bright brown, withered, frond tips of the fern on 
which it rests. 
Mr. Meyrick remarks that this species ‘‘ oecurs at Syd- 
ney, New South Wales, and Fernshaw, Victoria, and varies 
principally in depth of colouring, New Zealand specimens 
being usually darker and more sharply marked than Aus- 
tralian, and slightly smaller. The larva feeds on Adian- 
tasm (perhaps also on other ferns), sometimes doing much 
damage in greenhouse plants. Owing to this cireumstance 
it might easily be spread artificially.’’ 
Genus 3—DIASEMIA, Hiibn. 
Antennae #, in @ fasciculate-ciliated. Labial palpi por- 
rected, second joint triangularly expanded with dense projecting 
scales, terminal short, concealed. Maxillary palpi with apex ex- 
panded with loose scales. Tibial outer spurs # of inner. (Plate 
D., figs. 44, 45 neuration of Diasemia grammalis; fig. 46 head of 
ditto.) 
A small, widely ranging genus; the New Zealand spe- 
cies is one of a group of representative geographical forms 
indicating a former single species. 
DIASEMIA GRAMMALIS. 
(Diasemia grammalis, Dbld., Dieff. N.Z., ii., 287.) 
(Plate XIX., fig. 26 9.) 
This little species seems to be generally distributed 
throughout the country, having oceurred at quite a number 
of localities from Hamilton in the North Island to Central 
Otago in the South Island. 
The expansion of the wings is from 4 to 2 inch. The fore- 
wings, which have the termen very oblique, are dull brown; the 
dorsal and central area is cream-colour to about %; there, are 
three short thick black bars on the dorsum and a straight 
oblique white: line from the costa at about 2 not quite reaching 
the dorsum. The hind-wings are dull-brown with two black- 
edged whitish bars. 
There is considerable variation in the depth of the 
ground colour, as well as in the extent of the white mark- 
ings, which in some specimens almost supplant the usual 
ground colour. 
The perfect insect appears from October till March, 
frequenting dry open localities, and although usually very 
local is often abundant where found. Mr. Meyrick states 
this species also oceurs in Java, Sumatra and Celebes. 
Genus 4.—SCELIODES, Guen. 
Forehead with conical prominence. Antennae 3. Labial 
palpi porrected, second joint with projecting scales beneath, ter- 
minal joint exposed, obtuse. Maxillary palpi filiform. Tibial 
spurs short, nearly equal. (Plate D., fig. 48 head of Sceliodes 
cordalis.) 
_ Besides the following there is a closely allied species 
from Arabia and Africa. 
SCELIODES CORDALIS. 
(Margaritia cordalis, Dbld., Dieff. N.Z. ii., 288; Sceliodes muci- 
dalis, Gn., Pyr., 400; Daraba extensalis, Walk., Cat., xxxiv., 
1311; Hretriad obsistalis, Snell., Tijd. v. Ent., 1880, 206; ib., 
1883, pI. vi., 12; Sceliodes cordalis, Meyr., Trans. Ent. Soc. 
Lond., 1884, 303.) 
(Plate XX., fig. 47 9; Plate II., fig. 39 larva.) 
This species has occurred at Waitomo, Taranaki, 
Wanganui, Napier, Wainuiomata and Wellington. 
The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The fore-wings, 
which have the costa strongly arched and the termen. rounded, 
are pale yellowish-brown very finely speckled with darker brown 
becoming reddish toward the base; there is a small white mark 
on the costa at about 4; a curved irregular white band at about 
4, often almost reaching to the dorsum; a small triangular white 
mark on the costa at ? and a large bright orange-brown patch 
at the apex, margined with black and white on its basal edge; 
there are five minute blackish dots on the costa: before the apex. 
The hind-wings are pale ochreous; there is a blackish-brown spot 
near the middle; an interrupted, wavy brown sub-terminal line 
and two cloudy patches of pale orange-brown on the termen. Both 
pairs of wings have a terminal row of minute black dots. 
‘The larva, which feeds inside the green berries of the 
potato plant (Solanum aviculare), is extremely stout, about 
inch in length, pale red above and ochreous-yellow 
beneath. The head is brown, the second segment has two 
large brown horny dorsal plates; the other segments a row 

