New Zealand Moths and Butterflies (Macro-Lepidoptera). G. V. Hudson
rather striking insect has occurred at Napier and at Blenheim.
The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are cream-coloured with the veins darker; there are three faint black dots at about one-third, a curved series of black dots near the termen, the termen itself being strongly shaded with dark greyish-brown; the cilia are dark greyish-brown. The hind-wings are grey, paler towards the base; the cilia are also grey.
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.
LEUCANIA UNIPUNCTA, Haw.
(Leucania unipuncta, Haw., Lepidoptera Britannica, p. 174, No. 37. Leucania extranea, Gn., Noct. v. 77; Butl., Voy. Ereb., pl. ix. 2; Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 12.)
(Plate IV., fig. 24.)
This species has occurred at Napier and at Wellington in the North Island. In the South Island it has been found at Nelson and at Christchurch.
The expansion of the wings is 1¾ inches. The fore-wings vary from dull ochreous to bright reddish-ochreous; there are numerous indistinct blackish dots; the orbicular and reniform are almost round and slightly paler than the rest of the wing; there is a minute white dot immediately below the reniform and an obscure, oblique blackish line from the apex of the wing ending in a series of minute black dots; the termen is not indented. The hind-wings are grey, darker near the termen; the cilia are white.
Varies considerably in the ground colour and in the extent of the black speckling.
"The larva is extremely variable. Its usual colour is pale brown with a white dorsal line and several dark lines on each side.
"Young larvæ closely resemble their food-plant in colour, and occasionally this is persistent throughout life; in fact the larva is very variable. Feeds on various grasses."[13]
The perfect insect first appears about January, and continues in increasing numbers until the middle or end of April. It is often met with at sugar.
This species is of almost universal distribution, having occurred in Australia, Java, India, Europe, and North and South America. In England it is regarded as a great rarity.
Genus 6.—ICHNEUTICA, Meyr.
"Antennæ in male strongly bipectinated throughout. Thorax and abdomen smooth."—(Meyrick.)
This genus is very closely allied to Leucania. It appears to be exclusively limited to New Zealand, where it is represented by two conspicuous species. Probably when the extensive mountainous regions of the country have been more fully explored by entomologists other species will be discovered.
ICHNEUTICA DIONE, n. sp.
(Plate IV., fig. 27 ♂.)
A single specimen of this interesting species was captured by Mr. C. W. Palmer, on Mount Arthur at an elevation of about 4,400 feet.
The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are dull blackish-brown, darker near the middle; there is a rather oblique, white, longitudinal stripe below the middle from about one-eighth to one-third; above this there is a very conspicuous, large, elongate white mark; this mark has a semicircular indentation above, probably representing the orbicular; another indentation towards the termen, probably representing the reniform, and below this it emits two short teeth-like projections; beyond these markings the ground colour becomes paler, and is traversed by an obscure, jagged, transverse line; the cilia are grey. The hind-wings are pale grey; the cilia are also grey. The body is dark brownish-black. The pectinations of the antennæ of this insect are slightly shorter than those in Ichneutica ceraunias.
The type specimen is slightly damaged; but the species is so evidently distinct that I feel no hesitation in describing it.
ICHNEUTICA CERAUNIAS, Meyr.
(Ichneutica ceraunias, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 13.)
(Plate IV., fig. 25 ♂, 26 ♀).
This handsome species has hitherto only occurred on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, where, however, it seems to be common.
The expansion of the wings of the male is 1¾ inches, of the female 2 inches. The fore-wings of the male are rich orange-brown, paler towards the base. There are two very broad, longitudinal, yellowish stripes, one on the costa and the other on the dorsum. The costal stripe divides into two branches before its termination, one of which is produced downwards; there is also a conspicuous white mark a little beyond the middle of the wing emitting two tooth-like projections towards the termen, and two narrow, dark brown streaks near the base of the wing. The hind-wings are dark brownish-grey. The head, thorax, and abdomen are yellowish-brown, and the antennæ are very strongly bipectinated. The female is much narrower in the wings, the ground colouring is dull brown, and the markings are all dull yellow.
This species varies slightly in the intensity of the markings.
The moth appears early in January. It is much attracted by light. In 1891 I took over twenty specimens by means of a single candle exhibited, during three evenings, at the door of my tent. Prior to this date only one specimen had been taken by Mr. Meyrick during January, 1886. All these moths were met with over 3,500 feet above the sea-level, so that the insect is evidently confined to mountain regions.
Genus 7.—MELANCHRA, Hb.
"Head rough-scaled; eyes hairy. Antennæ in ♂ ciliated, or sometimes bipectinated with apex simple. Thorax with more or less developed anterior and posterior crests. Abdomen more or less crested, in ♀ obtuse. Anterior tibiæ rarely with apical hook."
"A large genus of very general distribution, but much commoner in temperate regions of both hemispheres. Relatively much more numerous in New Zealand than elsewhere."—(Meyrick.)
This genus includes no less than thirty-four species. Some of these are extremely difficult to distinguish owing to the obscurity of their markings, which offer unusual obstacles to clear description and delineation. I have, however, endeavoured to point out what, in my opinion, constitute the most reliable distinctions; but I fear that amongst those species, where only one or two specimens are known, cases of real difficulty will arise. Future investigation will no doubt result in a remodelling of some of the more obscure species in this genus.
It may be well to point out that the genus Melanchra was formerly known by the name of Mamestra.
MELANCHRA DISJUNGENS, Walk.
(Heliophobus disjungens, Walk., Noct. 1681; Butl., Voy. Ereb., pl. ix. 1. Hadena nervata, Gn., Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 40. Mamestra disjungens, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 15.)
(Plate V., fig. 43.)
This species has occurred in the South Island at Ashburton and at Rakaia.
The expansion of the wings is about 1⅜ inches. The fore-wings are brownish-grey; the veins are very conspicuously marked in white, the orbicular and reniform are large, white, each with a dusky centre; there is a conspicuous, white, transverse line near the termen, emitting two white, tooth-like projections on veins 3 and 4, and connected with a longitudinal line running to the base of the wing. The hind-wings are grey with the cilia white.
The perfect insect appears from November till January. It was formerly a common species near Rakaia, but is now much scarcer.
MELANCHRA PARACAUSTA, Meyr.
(Mamestra paracausta, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 15.)
(Plate IV., fig. 28 ♂, 28A ♀.)
This species has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur, Castle Hill, and Invercargill.
The expansion of the wings is about 1⅜ inches. The fore-wings are dull white with an irregular, central, longitudinal, blackish-brown streak becoming very broad towards the termen;