
XVIUI—THE 
reddish patches around all the principal markings which are 
very much smaller and less distinct than in the male. The hind- 
wings in both sexes are brownish-grey and semi-transparent. The 
cilia of all the wings are brownish-ochreous irregularly barred 
with brown. 
Apparently closely allied to Porina fusca, of which it 
may ultimately prove to be merely the North Island form. 
The perfect insect appears in December. 
Described and figured from Miss Lysaght’s specimens. 
PORINA ASCENDENS. 
(Porina ascendens, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., liii., 336.) 
(Plate XLIX., fig. 21 9.) 
Four female specimens of this species were taken in 
January 1889 amongst tussock grass on the Tableland of 
Mount Arthur at an altitude of 3,600 feet above the sea- 
level, but so far as I have been able to ascertain, no other 
specimens have since been taken. 
The expansion of the wings is about 1¢ inches. The fore- 
wings have the costa almost straight, arched near the apex and 
the termen slightly rounded oblique; pdle bronzy-ochreous; a 
broad irregular darker brown cloud on the costa narrowest at 
the base; a brownish spot before the apex; an oblique slightly 
waved cloudy brown band from the apex to middle of dorsum; 
an irregular very fine blackish longitudinal stripe above middle 
partly outlining two or three irregular whitish marks; a much 
shorter line below middle clouded with whitish towards costa; 
there is a subterminal series of small whitish spots clearly out- 
lined in dark brown and several similar spots towards apex. The 
hind-wings are pale rosy-grey clouded with ochreous towards 
the termen. 
Although rather obscurely-marked, this species is 
quite distinct from any other. It was figured on Plate 
XIII, fig. 18 of my previous book, as a variety of Porina 
cervinata, but this identification is certainly erroneous. 
PORINA MINOS. 
(Porinag winos, Huds, Trans. N.Z. Inst, xxxvil., 357; Porina 
dutumnata, Huds., Ent. Mo. Mag., lvi., 277). 
(Plateenivy no, 543 “se variety, 4 9; Plate; XDLIIL., fig. 12 
@ North Island form.) 
This very variable species was first discovered by Mr. 
J. H. Lewis at Ophir, Central Otago. It has since been 
HEPIALIDAE, 365 
taken at Lower Hutt near Wellington, at the Haast Pass, 
Southern Alps, at Paradise, Lake Wakatipu, and at Ore- 
puki, Southland. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is from 1} to about 
% inches; of the female 2 inches. The fore-wings of the male 
vary from rich chocolate brown (North Island), to yellowish- 
brown, or dark greyish-brown (South Island and mountain 
specimens); the markings are clear white and golden-ochreous- 
brown but there is no distinct central streak; a rather elongate 
spot at the origins of veins 7, 8 and 9; six minute white marks 
between the same veins towards the termen; a large curved 
mark at the origins of veins 4, 5 and 6 and three wedge-shaped 
marks beyond this; there are several curved marks between 
veins 2, 3 and 4 near origin and a terminal series 
of white marks between veins 2 to 8 inclusive; 
below the middle of the wing most of the white 
markings are broadly edged with golden - ochreous- 
brown. The hind-wings are pale brown, semi-transparent, with 
the veins much darker. The cilia of all the wings are dark 
brown barred with golden-ochreous. The thorax is clothed with 
dense dark-brown hairs; the abdomen is brownish-ochreous. The 
antennae are dull ochreous, bidentate, each dentation being about 
equal to the width of the stalk. The palpi are longer than in 
any other species of the genus known to me, especially in the 
female; the basal joint is forked (as Mr. Philpott has pointed 
out to me), the second joint slender, and the terminal joint 
slightly dilated towards apex. In the female all the wings and 
cilia are uniform brownish-grey, without markings; the palpi 
are longer and slenderer than in the male, with the terminal 
joint conspicuously dilated. The head and thorax are brownish- 
grey, the abdomen dull ochreous with a conspicuous anal tuft. 
Varies greatly in the extent and number of the white 
markings in the male, which, in some specimens, tend to 
become smaller and confluent. In such examples many of 
the white markings may be surrounded, or replaced, by 
ochreous. 
Whilst there is no absolute proof that the forms, here 
deseribed as male and female, actually belong to the same 
species, the peculiar palpi, common to both, warrant such 
an assumption in the meantime. 
The perfect insect appears in May, and is attracted 
by light. 
Described and figured from specimens kindly supplied 
by Messrs. Lewis, Clere, Peter Field, Harold Hodgkinson 
and R. Dunlop. 


