
XI—THE PYRALIDAE. 
The expansion of the wings varies from slightly under to 
slightly over 3 inch. It differs from S. colpota in the following 
respects: the termen of the fore-wings is slightly more oblique; 
the general colouring is considerably duller; the reniform spot 
is clearly 8-shaped; the average size is larger and the hind-wings 
and terminal area of the fore-wings darker, especially in the 
female. It is also very closely allied to S. periphanes but differs 
from that species in the absence of the characteristic pale yellow 
ground colour of the fore-wings and in the shape of the reniform 
spot. 
The perfect insect appears from November till Janu- 
ary. It is fairly common in the forest at Kaitoke, though 
usually difficult to obtain in good condition. It may even- 
tually prove to be only a local form of S. colpota, although 
at present this does not seem likely. 
SCOPARIA PHALERIAS. 
(Scoparia phalerias, Meyr., Trans, Ent. Soc. Lond., 1905, 230.) 
(Plate XXI., fig. 6 9.) 
This very rare insect has been taken at Kaitoke and 
Wainuiomata near Wellington. It has also occurred at 
the Upper Maitai, Nelson, on the Tableland of Mount 
Arthur at an elevation of about 3,400 feet, at Waitati near 
Dunedin, on Ben Lomond, Lake Wakatipu, and at the 
Bluff. 
The expansion of the wings of the female is about ¢ inch. 
The fore-wings are rather elongate with the termen oblique, 
rounded above the tornus, very dark blackish-brown finely sprin- 
kled with bluish-white scales; there is a large patch of yellowish- 
brown on the costa from 4 to a little more than % and reaching 
nearly half across the wing; the claviform is round and the 
reniform small, somewhat kidney-shaped, both pale ochreous- 
brown; the cilia are bright ochreous-brown. The hind-wings are 
rather pointed towards the apex, greyish-ochreous, glossy, shaded 
with darker grey towards the termen. The male is slightly 
larger in size, with the fore-wings almost wholly dark yellowish- 
brown; there is a fine whitish second line, strongly bent outwards 
below the costa. 
The perfect insect appears in November, December and 
January, frequenting forest, but is very rarely met with. 
Mr. Philpott states that specimens taken at the Bluff, near 
the sea-level, are much smaller than those from the moun- 
tains, although otherwise identical. 
SCOPARIA DIPHTHERALIS. 
(Scoparia diphtheralis, Walk., Cat., xxxiv., 1501; Meyr., Trans. 
N.Z. Inst., xvii., 94.) 
(Plate XXI., fig. 20 @.) 
This fine species seems to be fairly common, and°is 
probably generally distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. The fore-wings are 
black with white markings and several longitudinal yellowish 
streaks on the veins; the first line is white, very broad, partially 
divided towards the dorsum; the orbicular is round, black-edged, 
with a white or pale yellow centre; the claviform is also black, 
less distinct and seldom pale centred; the reniform is 8-shaped, 
black with the two centres pale yellow or white; the spaces on 
each side of the reniform are generally strongly prismatic like 
mother of pearl; the second line is broad, white, edged with 
black; the sub-terminal area is black and the sub-terminal line 
broad, often touching the second line above the middle, where 
it is sometimes broken; there is a terminal row of white dots. 
The hind-wings are dull ochreous with lunule, sub-terminal line, 
and terminal shading dull grey. 
The perfect insect appears from December till March. 
It is nearly always captured at lamps, generally in the 
neighbourhood of forest, and individuals so taken are 
almost invariably females. A paler insect, without distinet 
prismatic markings, occurs at Lake Wakatipu and is, I 
believe, only a local variety of this species. 
SCOPARIA SUBMARGINALIS. 
(Hypochalcia submarginalis, Walk., Cat., xxvii. 48; Nephopteryx 
maoriella, ib., 35, 1720; ? linealis, Walk., Cat., xxxiv., 1503; 
Scoparia submarginalis, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii., 95.) 
(Plate XXI., figs. 7, 8, 9 varieties.) 
This pretty species was formerly extremely abundant 
throughout the country, but of late years it has greatly 
decreased in numbers, though it is still very plentiful in 
some localities far removed from settlement. It is common 
on Stewart Island. 
The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The’ fore-wings 
are pale brown or greyish-brown with the markings very variable 
both in colour and intensity; there is a small patch of the ground 
colour at the base; the first line is double, wavy, oblique, extend- 
ing away from the base towards the dorsum, the space between 
the double line is sometimes wholly white, sometimes partly 
filled in with dark brown; the orbicular and claviform are 
obscure, cloudy, dark brownish-black; the reniform is also 
obscure, very imperfectly margined with black; none of the spots 
have pale centres; the second line is always distinct, white, wavy 
below the costa, sloping inwards towards the dorsum and traver- 
sing a rather conspicuous bright orange-brown spot just before 
it reaches the dorsum; the sub-terminal line is very broad, grey, 
broken in the middle; there is generally a terminal series of 
blackish dots. The hind-wings are greyish-ochreous very strongly 
Shaded with dark greyish-brown on the termen, especially near 
the apex. 
This species is very variable. Sometimes the space 
between the first and second lines is entirely filled in with 
uniform rich brown. One of the commonest and prettiest 
varieties is dappled with rich blackish-brown, the dappling 
extending more or less over the whole of the fore-wings, 
except on the first and second lines. <A third variety has 
all the markings indistinct, except the second line, and is 
strongly speckled with grey throughout. It thus somewhat 
resembles S. indistinctalis except for the bright orange- 
brown patch near the lower end of the second line, which 
in this variety is very conspicuous. This insect becomes 
worn soon after emergence and, unless a specimen is in 
good condition, it is quite impossible to identify it. There 
appears to be a lower layer of neutral tinted scales, which 
give worn specimens quite a distinctive appearance, as 
though they belonged to a different species. 
The perfect insect appears from November till March. 
It is most abundant throughout January and the first half 
of February, but after this rapidly decreases in numbers. 
It usually frequents forest at fairly low levels, resting in 
ereat numbers on fences, trees, rock faces, ete., where it 

