








































210 XUF.—THE PTEROPHORIDAE. 
ALUCITA FURCATALIS. 
(Aciptilus furcatalis, Walk., Cat., xxx., 950; Feld. Reis. Nov., pl. 
exl., 52; Aciptilia furcatalis, Meyr., Trans, N.Z. Inst., xvii., 
123.) 
(Plate XXIII., fig. 17 9; Frontispiece, fig. 25 egg.) 
This pretty insect has occurred at Auckland, Hamilton, 
Palmerston North, Makotuku, Wellington, Leshe Track Mt. 
Arthur, the Otira Gorge and Stewart Island. It is probably 
generally distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is about ¢ inch. The fore-wings 
are brown with 2 of the costa broadly edged with white, and a 
small white mark near the middle of the first plume. The hind- 
wings are snow white. The head is white and the dorsal sur- 
face of the thorax and abdomen brown. All the cilia are white 
except! a brown patch near the extremity of the second plume 
on the fore-wings. 
In some specimens the brown markings are much 
darker than in others. 
The perfect insect generally appears from November 
to March, and frequents dense forests. On very rare ocea- 
sions specimens have been taken in the middle of winter. 
Alucita furcatalis is sometimes confused with the closely 
allied A. lycosema, but may always be distinguished from 
that species by the second plume of the fore-wing being 
entirely brown in place of white. The brown dorsal stripe 
on the abdomen is also a good distinetive character. 
ALUCITA INNOTATALIS. 
(Pterophorus innotatalis, Walk., Cat., xxx., 945; Aciptilia inno- 
tatalis, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvii., 124.) 
(Plate XXIII., fig. 1 ¢; Frontispiece, fig. 21 egg.) 
This interesting little species, which is the smallest 
plume moth at present known in New Zealand, has occurred 
at Puketiritiri near Napier, Pipiriki (Wanganui River), 
Masterton, Porirua, Makara, Wellington, Nelson, Otira 
River, Christchurch, Mount Linton, and Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is about finch. The fore-wings 
are yellowish-ochreous. The hind-wings are dark grey. The cilia 
of all the wings are dark brownish-grey; there are usually one 
or two minute black dots in the dorsal cilia of the second plume 
of the fore-wings. The head, body and legs are pale ochreous. 
The perfect insect generally appears from October till 
March, but has also been taken in August, there being 
apparently two or more broods in the course of a year. It 
frequents very restricted spots on open grassy, or fern- 
covered hills where it is often rather common. 
Mr. Meyrick remarks that ‘‘ this species might almost 
be considered identical with the European Alucita tetra- 
dactyla, L., which it approaches very closely ; but my speci- 
mens of A. tetradactyla are decidedly larger, the cilia 
darker and more sharply contrasted, and the costa suffused 
with light fuscous without trace of black dots in the cilia 
of lower margin; these differences are very slight, and if 
intermediate localities produce connecting forms, the two 
may be united under the name of tetradactyla L.; mean- 
while it seems well to keep them separate.’’ 
Genus 3.—STENOPTILIA, Hiibn. 
Forehead with horny prominence or tuft of scales. Fore- 
wings bifid, segments moderate or rather narrow, 8 and 9 stalked. 
Hind-wings trifid, third segment without black scales in dorsal 
cilia. 
A genus of moderate extent, generally distributed. 
Represented in New Zealand by six species, five of 
which are confined to the South Island. 
STENOPTILIA LITHOXESTA., 
(Mimaeseoptilus lithoxestus, Meyr., Trans. N.Z, Inst. xvii., 127.) 
(Plate XXIIL., fig. 11 9.) 
This fine species has occurred at Mount Arthur and 
Arthur’s Pass at elevations of from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above 
the sea-level. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over 1 inch. All the 
wings are dull brownish-ochreous. The fore-wings have a very 
narrow, dark brown, band along the costa which is considerably 
wider and margined with pale ochreous a little before the apex; 
there is a black dot slightly before and below the cleft. The 
cilia on the dorsal and terminal edge of the first plume of the 
fore-wings are white, the rest of the cilia being pale brownish- 
ochreous. The hind-wings are pale brown with the third plume 
ochreous. 4 
The perfect insect appears in January. It frequents 
roygh herbage on mountain sides, where it is sometimes 
fairly common. 
STENOPTILIA EPOTIS. 
(Platyptilia epotis, Meyr., Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1905, 231; 
Trans. N.Z. Inst., xliii., 73.) 
(Plate XXIII, fig. 16 9.) 
This species, which is very closely allied to the last, 
has oecurred on the Mount Arthur Tableland and the Hum- 
boldt Range, Lake Wakatipu, at elevations of from 3,500 
to 4,000 feet. 
The expansion of the wings is just under 1 inch. The fore- 
wings are very pale brownish-ochreous; the costa is narrowly 
edged with dark brown from the base to about 3, thence broadly 
bordered with creamy white to the apex; the first plume has a 
very oblique blackish;brown streak from the apex to about the 
middle of the cleft; there is an extremely minute brown mark 
just before the cleft. The hind-wings and all the cilia are pale 
brownish-ochreous. 
Varies considerably in the intensity of the oblique api- 
eal streak, also in the amount of ochreous in the ground- 
colour. Apart from the apical streak, the species may be 
distinguished by the patch of white on the costal cilia to- 
wards the apex, and the black mark at the base of the ter- 
minal cilia on the lower angle of the first plume, and also 
in the same position on the first plume of the hind-wings. 
The perfect insect appears in February and March, 
frequenting rough alpine vegetation on the mountain sides. 
It appears partial to swampy places, but is very local. 
I have placed this insect in the genus Stenoptilia next 
to S. lithoresta as the black scales in the dorsal cilia of the 
hind-wings are, to all intents and purposes, absent. 

