AI—THE PYRALIDAE. 189 
SCOPARIA CRITICA. 
(Scoparia critica, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii. 88.) 
(Plate XXII., fig. 42 @.) 
This small, but rather sharply marked species, has 
occurred at Mount Arthur, Arthur’s Pass, Otira Gorge. 
Ida Valley, Queenstown, and Routeburn Valley, Lake 
Wakatipu at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 feet 
above the sea-level. 
The expansion of the wings is about § inch. The head, 
thorax, and forewings are dark brownish black; the head and 
thorax are sprinkled with white and yellow scales; the fore-wings 
have most of the veins usually strongly streaked with ochreous- 
yellow; there is a small white curved mark at the base; the first 
line is clear, white, almost straight but angulated outwards below 
the middle; the orbicular and claviform are represented by two 
ill-defined blackish spots; the reniform is also ill-defined with a 
white centre above and a yellow centre below, connected with 
the costa by a dark spot; the second line is very distinct, clear 
white and inwardly curved towards the dorsum; the sub-term- 
inal line is interrupted, bluish-white near the apex where the 
ground colour of the wing is darker; there is a fine terminal 
whitish line; the cilia are black mixed with dull white. The 
hind-wings, cilia and abdomen are dark grey. 
The perfect insect appears in December and January. 
It usually frequents open scrub on mountain sides, and 
in such localities is often very common. The colouring of 
the fore-wings is protective when the insect is resting on 
blackened or lichen-covered rocks. 
SCOPARIA GRACILIS. 
(Scoparia ‘gracilis, Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst., lv., 209.) 
(Plate L., fig. 27 @.) 
This delicate-looking insect was discovered by Mr. 
Philpott on Mount Arthur at an elevation of 4,500 feet. 
The expansion of the wings is @ inch. The fore-wings are 
narrow, slightly dilated towards the apex; blackish-grey, much 
paler and browner towards the dorsum; there is an oblique white 
line from the base to the dorsum at 4; the first line is white, 
strongly outwards-curved; there are two or three large patches 
of white scales on the discal area; the second line is strongly 
outwards-curved near the disc thence becoming obscure; the sub- 
germinal line is broadly interrupted near the middle; the prin- 
cipal veins are strongly marked in black in the dise and towards 
termen. The hind-wings are pale-grey. 
The perfect insect appears in January. 
This species has a considerable superficial resemblance 
to Scoparia critica but is a paler and more narrow-winged 
insect. 
, SCOPARIA CHARACTA. 
(Scoparia characta, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii., 90.) 
(Plate XXII., fig. 4 9.) 
Although rare, this species appears to be generally dis- 
tributed. It has occurred at Ohakune, Palmerston North, 
Makotuku, Wairarapa district, Wellington, Christchurch, 
Dunedin, Routeburn Valley, Lake Wakatipu, and Inver- 
eargill. 
The expansion of the wings is barely % inch. The fore- 
wings are very dark brown with black and cream-coloured mark- 
ings; there is a broad oblique blackish band near the base, fol- 
lowed by a yellowish space speckled with dark brown; the first 
line is cream-coloured edged with black; there is a very large 
regular, black edged, pale yellow marking in the middle of the 
wing, which touches the costa just above the reniform,; the lower 
half of the reniform is represented by a minute pale yellow dot; 
the rest of the wing is dark brown with a narrow wavy Ssub- 
terminal series of black dots. The hind-wings are dull ochreous 
with a distinct grey central dot and a grey sub-terminal line and 
terminal shading. 
The larva feeds on mosses. 
The perfect insect appears from November till March. 
It is, however, generally observed towards the end of sum- 
mer and is then usually taken either at sugar, or at light. 
SCOPARIA USTIMACULA. 
(Scoparia ustimacula, Feld., Reis. Nov., pl. exxxv., 17; Meyr., 
Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii., 91; Scoparia conifera, Butl., Cist. 
Ent., ii., 493.) 
(eh) DOTS, Vie SS) 80) 
This handsome species has occurred at Kaeo north of 
Auckland, Wellington, Mount Arthur, Castle Hill, Buller 
and Otira Rivers, Dunedin, Invercargill and Stewart 
Island. Although not common it is probably generally dis- 
tributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is a little over # inch. The 
fore-wings are bright golden-brown and very glossy with dark 
brown markings edged. with white; there is a small brown patch 
at the base; the first line is very slender, white, faintly edged 
with brown towards the termen; the orbicular and claviform are 
very large, touching, dark brown edged with white; the reniform 
is extremely large and conspicuous, very dark brown edged with 
white; the second line is white and very slender; the sub-term- 
inal line is broad, white, broken near the middle and rather 
irregular; there is a terminal series of blackish marks. The 
hind-wings are pale ochreous, glossy, with a grey discal spot and 
terminal shading. 
The perfect insect appears from September till March 
or April, and frequents forest, but is seldom common. It 
is on the wing for a longer period than most species of 
the genus, and its range extends from the sea-level to ele- 
vations of about 3,500 feet. 
SCOPARIA PONGALIS. 
(Scoparia pongalis, Feld., Reis. Nov., pl. exxxvii., 33; Meyr., 
Aran Nee LOStye xvi OL.) 
(QBENIGS DOI ilige paleo Leys) 
This neatly-marked little species has occurred at Auck- 
land, Makotuku, Tararua Range, Wellington, Christ- 
ehurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is } inch. The fore-wings are 
pale greyish-brown, much darker beyond the second line; there 
is a@ very conspicuous, elongate, triangular, dark brownish-black 
mark on the costa, extending from the base to about 3; the reni- 
form is partially outlined in black; the second line is dark grey, 
obscure, and merged with the very broad terminal shading; there 
is a series of minute black terminal dots. The hind-wings are 
ochreous-grey, slightly darker on the termen. 
The perfect insect appears from December till March, 
and frequents forest, but is rarely met with. This species 

