eee ee eee ee 
XI—THE PYRALIDAE., 
This species differs from 8. chimeria by the absence of 
the yellow blotch near the termen; from S. minuwalis by the 
elear white 8-shaped reniform and from S. minusculalis by 
the much smaller and more broken white markings. 
Mr. Meyrick points out that the very short antennal 
ciliations is a good distinctive character. 
The larva, which feeds on mosses during the winter and 
early spring, is about 4 inch in length, cylindrical, slightly taper- 
ing at each end. The head and dorsal plate of the second seg- 
ment are very deep bronzy-black, slightly tinged with green and 
very highly polished; the rest of the body is pale bronzy-brown 
tinged with yellowish-green; there are four rows of large highly- 
polished bronzy-greenish-black tubercles, the two sub-dorsal rows 
having one Jarge and one small tubercle to each segment; a 
stout black bristle rises from each tubercle. The larva is very 
active, tunnelling amongst moss on fallen logs. 
The perfect insect appears in December and January, 
and frequents forest. Its colouring is extremely protective 
when resting with closed wings on tree-trunks. 
SCOPARIA PARMIFERA. 
(Scoparia parmifera, Meyr., Sub-antarctic Islands of New 
Zealand, 72.) 
(Plate XocT.. fie. 13 A) 
This very distinctly-marked species was discovered at 
Auckland and Campbell Islands during the scientifie expe- 
dition of November, 1907. 
The expansion of the wings is ~ inch. The fore-wings are 
pale brown; there is a dark blackish-brown oblique basal patch; 
a very large blackish-brown patch on the costa extending from 
9 
about 4 to % and reaching a little more than half-way across the 
wing; the first line is oblique and wavy, traversing the basal 
edge of the large costal patch and meeting the dorsum at about 
4; the second line'is very fine, wavy and oblique, extending from 
about $ of the costa to 3 of the dorsum and not touching the 
large costal patch; the sub-terminal line is pale yellowish-brown 
and obscure, the space between it and the second being broadly 
clouded with dark brown; there is a row of blackish terminal 
dots. The hind-wings are pale grey, slightly darker near the 
termen., 
A few specimens of the perfect insect occurred in for- 
est at Auckland Island during the latter part of November. 
It was also found at Campbell Island, at the same time, and 
was reported to have been the commonest moth there at 
that season. Mr. Philpott rediscovered ‘it on Longwood 
Range, Southland, where it was fairly common in the for- 
est, at an elevation of about 2,500 feet above the sea-level,* 
and Mr. C. EK. Clarke has taken it at Waitati, near Dune- 
din. 
SCOPARIA ACHARIS. 
(Scoparia acharis, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii., 85.) 
(Plate XXI., fig. 14 9.) 
This fine species has occurred at Kaeo, in the far 
North, Ohakune, Tararua Range, Kaitoke, Wellington, 
Akaroa, Otira, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu, and Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is a little over } inch. The 
fore-wings are pale brown with brownish-black markings; there 
is a short, thick, oblique spot on the costa at the base, followed 


*Trans, N.Z. Inst., xix, 219. 
by a rather broad band of the ground colour; a very conspicuous, 
large, dark brown patch on the costa extending half-way towards 
the dorsum and much broader on the costa than elsewhere; the 
basal portion of this patch is bounded by the first line, which is 
otherwise indistinct; the reniform is double, each spot somewhat 
oblong; the inner one small, pale brown edged with darker 
brown; the outer large, conspicuous, dull purplish-grey edged 
with dark brown; the second line is jagged, dull brown outwardly 
edged with pale brown; the terminal area of the wing is rich 
brown with a few short black longitudinal streaks and two small 
pale marks representing the sub-terminal line. 
The egg, which is laid flat in clusters of two or three, 
is oval, somewhat wafer-like, distinctly flanged, with sur- 
face roughened, but without definite sculpture; pale green, 
with strong iridescent reflections. Length about one-sixti- 
eth of an inch. 
The perfect insect appears in November and Decem- 
ber, and frequents forest. When alive its colouring is 
extremely rich, the moth having ‘then a very handsome 
appearance. Although generally distributed it seems to be 
a rather scarce species. 
SCOPARIA ZOPHOCHLAENA. 
(Scoparia zophochlaend, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., liv., 162.) 
(Plate XLIX., fig. 3 @.) 
A single specimen of this rather striking species was 
taken at Takapuna, near Auckland. 
The expansion of the wings is about } inch. The fore-wings 
are rather broad oblong; there is a blackish-brown basal patch, 
followed by a broad oblique white transverse band containing in 
its centre an irregular yellowish-brown line; a very large almost 
black trapezoidal patch is situated on the costa, reaching from 
about 4 to 2, one of its lower angles touching the dorsum; this 
patch is broadly and irregularly margined with pure white; the 
second line is white, finely margined with blackish from costa to 
near dorsum; it is slightly bent inwards below costa and out- 
wards below this; the sub-terminal area is pale brown with a 
large black sub-apical blotch and a sub-terminal series of biack 
spots. The hind-wings are white, tinged with ochreous and 
clouded with grey near apex. The head and palpi are bright 
yellowish-brown, the thorax blackishgrey and the abdomen paie 
ochreous. The cilia of all the wings are ochreous-white. 
The perfect insect appears in January. 
SCOPARIA ANIMOSA. 
(Scoparia animosa, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlvi., 103.) 
(Platé XLV., fig. 5 @.) 
This bright-looking, though obseurely-marked species, 
has occurred at Wellington and at West Plains and Sandy 
Point in the Invercargill district. 
The expansion of the wings is almost 4 inch. The fore 
wings are orange-brown (darker in southern specimens) with 
the lines faintly indicated in dull white and margined with 
brown; there is a large deep brown blotch on the dorsum, filling 
up the space between the first and second lines and irregularly 
narrowed towards the disc where it terminates; an oblong semi- 
transparent spot on the stigmatic region; several dark brown 
marks on the costa and a series of very small dark and faint 
terminal spots. The hind-wings are clear pale ochreous in the 
northern, and pale greyish-ochreous in thei southern specimens. 


