Art. VII.—Recent Observations on New Zealand Macrolepidoptera, including Descriptions of New Species.

By G. V. Hudson, F.E.S.

Diadema bolina.

Two specimens of this fine butterfly have occurred at Wellington during this summer—one captured by Leslie Roskruge near the Government Buildings in April, and another captured by Mr. Bannehr in Cuba Street.

Melanchra omoplaca, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xix, p. 24. (Melanchra umbra, Hdsn., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxv, p. 243.)

Mr. Meyrick informs me that the species described by me as above is identical with M. omoplaca.

Orthosia fortis, Butl. (Miselia iota, Hdsn., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxv, p. 243.)

During a recent examination of the collection of New Zealand Lepidoptera formed by the late Mr. R. W. Fereday, and now in the Christchurch Museum, I detected an insect labelled “Orthosia fortis,” which is clearly identical with the species described by me as Miselia iota.

Ophideres maturna, Lin. Plate XV, fig. 5.

Two specimens of this extremely handsome species have been recently found in New Zealand—one captured at Makara Beach by Mr. Cook in May, 1906, and kindly given to me by Mr. W. R. Morris; another captured at Dunedin by Mr. George Howes, F.E.S., in March, 1907. Mr. Froggatt informs me that this is one of the banana-moths, and I conclude that it has been artificially introduced into New Zealand amongst consignments of that fruit. The following is a brief description: The expansion of the wings is about 3 ¾in. The head and thorax are pale reddish-brown. The forewings are very broad, triangular, with the termen slightly waved and bowed, pale yellowish-white, entirely covered with numerous brown and reddish-brown short wavy stripes; the central portion of the wing has strong bronzy-golden reflections, this portion being divided into three fairly defined patches by two oblique whitish bands; there are two large and two small bright reddish-brown spots in the centre of the wing. The hindwings and abdomen are rich orange-yellow, with a terminal black band and two round black spots near the middle.

Xanthorhoe chlorias, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xvi, p. 80. (Venusia princeps, Hdsn., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxv, p. 244.)

This correction is also necessary.

Lythria siris, n. sp. Plate XV, fig. 1.

This very neatly marked little species was discovered by Mr. J. H. Lewis on the Old Man Range, Central Otago, at an elevation of about 4,000ft.

The expansion of the wings is a little over ⅝in. The forewings are slaty-grey, with light reddish-brown, black, and pale-yellowish markings; there is a very small grey area at the base, followed by a wavy transverse reddish-brown band; next two yellowish-white bands enclosing a very narrow yellowish-brown area; then a strongly waved whitish line, followed by a narrow black line and a broad reddish-brown line; the central area is broad, slaty-grey, with a reddish-brown discal dot; this is followed by an extremely sharply angulated series of lines, consisting of a narrow reddish-brown line, a narrow black line, a narrow yellowish-white line, and a shaded orange-brown line; the termen is shaded with dark-brown with a very fine, wavy, whitish line and a series of small reddish-brown spots. The hindwings are golden-yellow, the basal and terminal portions broadly clouded with black, and a very wavy central black line. The cilia of all the wings are brownish-grey. The female is paler, and much less distinctly marked than the male.

The perfect insect appears in February.

Notoreas orphnæa, Meyr. Plate XV, figs. 2, ♀; 3, ♂.

In January, 1905, I captured two specimens of this very distinct species on the Humboldt Range, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, at an elevation of about 4,500ft. above the sea-level.

The expansion of the wings of the male is nearly 1 ⅜in.; of the female, 1 ⅛in. The forewings of the male are very dark greyish-black, speckled with paler grey; there are several small black marks on the veins, and an obscure yellowish-brown transverse line at about ¾; the hindwings are dark-grey, speckled with paler grey; the cilia of all the wings are pale greyish-white, strongly barred with blackish-grey. The body is black; the head and thorax are densely clothed with long black hair; the antennæ are heavily bipectinated. The female is much paler, with numerous obscure blackish transverse lines on both fore and hind wings; the forewings are faintly clouded with yellowish-brown towards the base and termen, and all the wings have a terminal row of small but conspicuous oblong black marks. The antennæ are simple, and the head and thorax are moderately clothed with short black hairs.

This species may be at once distinguished from any of the varieties of Dasyuris hectori by the hairy clothing of the head and thorax, and the strongly bipectinated antennæ of the male.