New Zealand Moths and Butterflies (Macro-Lepidoptera). G. V. Hudson
at a great rate over bare ground in search of food. Amongst the grass it is hard to detect, as the striped colouring is very protective in that situation.
The pupa state is spent in the earth, or under moss on fallen trees.
The moth appears from September till April. It is double-brooded. A few of the second brood emerge in the autumn and hibernate as moths, but the majority pass the winter in the pupa state. Hence we sometimes meet with specimens on mild evenings in the middle of winter.
This insect is much attracted by light, and occasionally assembles in vast numbers round a brilliant lamp. I have had as many as one hundred specimens in my verandah at Karori, attracted during two or three hours. It is by far the commonest insect at the collectors' sugar, the numerous visitors of this species eagerly jostling each other in their haste to obtain a share of the sweets. M. composita is likewise observed in the utmost profusion on attractive flowers of all kinds, crowding out the rarer and more aristocratic species. Mr. Hanify has drawn my attention to the remarkable habit this insect has of suddenly stopping during its flight, and thus eluding pursuit. It also takes wing with unusual rapidity. Specimens of this moth may constantly be observed at rest in various situations during the daytime, when the protective character of the colouring will be at once apparent, especially when the insect is partially concealed amongst grass. Mr. Meyrick informs us that this species is common in Tasmania and South-Eastern Australia.
MELANCHRA STEROPASTIS, Meyr.
(Mamestra steropastis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 22.)
(Plate V., fig. 10 ♂, 11 ♀.)
This insect has occurred in the North Island at Napier. In the South Island it has been taken at Blenheim and Christchurch, but does not seem to be a common species anywhere.
The expansion of the wings is from 1¼ to 1½ inches. In general appearance it somewhat resembles the preceding species, from which it may chiefly be distinguished by the absence of the sharp white central line and conspicuous tooth-like markings near the termen. There is also a minute white dot situated at the junction of veins 3 and 4 of the fore-wings. The hind-wings are dark grey.
The perfect insect appears from November till February.
Described and figured from Mr. Fereday's specimens.
MELANCHRA INFENSA, Walk.
(Orthosia infensa, Walk. 748. Mamestra arachnias, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 23. Mamestra infensa, Meyr., ib. xx. 45.)
(Plate V., fig. 12.)
This species has occurred in the North Island at Napier, and in the South Island at Blenheim.
The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are reddish-brown, slightly speckled with dull white except on a suffused central streak from the base to about two-thirds; an obscure, moderately broad white costal streak extends from the base to two-thirds, sharply defined near the base only, and containing several very oblique ill-defined blackish marks; the orbicular is narrow oval, longitudinal, very finely margined with white and then with black; the claviform is obsolete; the reniform is only indicated by two white dots, representing its lower angles; the transverse lines are very acutely dentate but hardly traceable; the subterminal line is indicated only by three very acute slender whitish-ochreous dentations—one below apex, two touching the termen below the middle; the cilia are reddish-brown mixed with dull white. The hind-wings are dark grey; the cilia are dull white, with a faint grey line and tips white. The head, palpi, and thorax are reddish-brown speckled with white; the forehead with two black transverse lines; and the collar with a slender white line; thorax with strong anterior double tuft. Abdomen light reddish-grey.
Description compiled from that of Mr. Meyrick. Figured by Mr. W. B. Hudson from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.
MELANCHRA OMOPLACA, Meyr.
(Mamestra omoplaca, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 24.)
(Plate V., fig. 13.)
This species has occurred in the South Island at Lake Coleridge and Rakaia.
The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings are dark reddish-brown, there is a short black median streak from the base, margined above with ochreous-white; the space between this and the costa is marked with suffused ochreous-whitish lines; in one specimen a blackish suffusion extending from base of the dorsum obliquely to orbicular and reniform, the space between this and the subterminal line is suffused with pale whitish-ochreous; the orbicular and reniform are blackish-fuscous, black-margined, and connected by a blackish-fuscous spot; the orbicular is large, roundish; the reniform with its outer edge white; the claviform is small, suboval, blackish-fuscous; the transverse lines are indistinct; the subterminal is obscurely paler or hardly traceable, with two somewhat acute dentations below the middle; the terminal space is mixed with blackish-fuscous; the cilia are reddish-fuscous mixed with blackish. The hind-wings are fuscous-grey; the cilia grey-whitish, with a grey line.
The perfect insect appears in December, February, and March.
Description compiled from that of Mr. Meyrick. Figured by Mr. W. B. Hudson from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.
MELANCHRA ALCYONE, n. sp.
(Plate V., fig. 14 ♂.)
During the autumn of 1894 several specimens of this interesting species were captured in the Wellington Botanical Gardens by Mr. A. Norris.
The expansion of the wings of the ♂ is 1⅝ inches, of the ♀ 1½ inches. The fore-wings of the male are warm brown, darker towards the base; there is a wavy, white-edged, black, transverse line at about one-fifth, followed by a round black spot; the costa is yellowish, with four pairs of short oblique black marks; the orbicular is large, oval, oblique, pale yellowish-brown slightly darker in the middle; the claviform is small, obscure, and brownish-black; the reniform is black, outlined with dull white; there is a series of very acute, dull white, tooth-like terminal markings, and the termen itself is slightly scalloped; the cilia are dark brown. The hind-wings are grey with a series of small dark marks on the termen; the cilia are reddish-ochreous. The head and anterior portion of the thorax are reddish-ochreous; the rest of the thorax is rich brown, and there is a conspicuous black transverse line between the pale and dark colouring; the abdomen is reddish-ochreous with the crests reddish-brown. The female is much darker and duller than the male, the markings are much less distinct, there are several additional jagged transverse lines, and the white markings of the male are indistinctly indicated in drab.
The perfect insect appears in March.
MELANCHRA DOTATA, Walk.
(Dasypolia dotata, Walk., Noct. 522. Mamestra dotata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 24.)
(Plate V., fig. 16.)
This species has occurred at Nelson.
The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings are very dark brownish-black; there are several obscure black marks near the base; the orbicular is large, oblong, finely margined with black, the claviform is triangular, also finely margined with black, both orbicular and claviform are surrounded by a conspicuous black shading; the reniform is large ear-shaped, white towards the termen and dark brown towards the base of the wing, the white portion is traversed by a curved brownish line; there is a curved transverse line near the termen, the space immediately inside this line being paler than the rest of the wing; there is a terminal series of obscure pale dots. The hind-wings are dark brown, paler towards the base; the cilia are also brown.
A single specimen of this insect was reared from a pupa found at Wakapuaka, near Nelson. Mr. Fereday also has a specimen, but without note of locality.
MELANCHRA ASTEROPE, n. sp.
(Plate V., fig. 15.)
A single specimen of this insect was taken at light on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, in January 1891, at about 3,600 feet above the sea-level.
The expansion of the wings is 1⅜ inches. The fore-wings are dull brown with a pale area on the