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Noctuidae.
Icheneutica marmorata (Huds.), Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. 60, p. 7; I. dives Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 55, p. 207.
The above synonymical correction is necessary. This handsome species was found to be not uncommon at Arthur's Pass in February.
Melanchra badia n. sp.
♂. 38 mm. Head greyish-brown. Palpi greyish-brown, terminal segment and apex of second segment mixed with ochreous. Antennae minutely ciliated; ferruginous, basal third ochreous-grey. Thorax with slight anterior crest, greyish-brown. Abdomen grey mixed with fuscous, anterior segments prominently crested, each crest with apical blackish bar. Legs ochreous, middle and anterior pair mixed with brown, anterior tarsi more or less infuscated. Forewings moderate, costa almost straight, apex rectangular, termen rounded, rather oblique, crenulate; chestnut-brown; costa narrowly, and termen more widely, greenish-olive; an indistinct, paired angled fuscous fascia near base; a pair of blackish dots on costa at ⅓ and three others before and above reniform; costa between these dots greyish-ochreous; orbicular ovate, dark fuscous ringed with ochreous-white; reniform narrow, inner basal angle somewhat produced, blackish, margined with ochreous-white; claviform obscure, fuscous, margined anteriorly with ochreous-white; second line indicated by dull serrate paired fasciae, excurved to middle, thence incurved to dorsum; subterminal line prominent, margining olive terminal band, ochreouswhite; an indistinct waved blackish terminal line; fringes brown with pale basal and dark median crenulate lines. Hindwings dark fuscous; fringes ochreous-whitish with broad fuscous basal line.
There is a slight resemblance to some forms of M. tartarea Butl, but the minute ciliations of the antennae at once distinguish it.
Leslie Valley, in November. A single male (holotype) in coll. Cawthron Institute.
M. captiosa n. sp.
♀. 41 mm. Head and palpi ochreous-white. Antennae brown, basally ochreous-white. Thorax with bifid anterior crest, ochreouswhite mixed with pale olive. Abdomen ochreous-white, dorsally fuscous. Legs whitish-ochreous, tarsi annulated with reddish-brown, terminal segments of anterior tarsi wholly brown. Forewings elongate, costa almost straight, apex rectangular, termen rounded, oblique, crenulate; ochreous-white; numerous obscure dentate pale brownish-olive transverse fasciae and a few scattered black scales; reniform indicated by blackish dots; subterminal line indicated near
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tornus and above middle by blackish margining; fringes brownisholive and fine waved median whitish line. Hindwing fuscous, pinkish-fuscous round termen; fringes pinkish-brown, round dorsum wholly whitish.
Not close to any other described Melanchra.
Mount Arthur Tableland at about 4,000 feet, in November. The single specimen (holotype) is in the coll. Cawthron Institute.
Melanchra lata n. sp.
♀. 44 mm. Head, palpi and thorax pinkish-brown mixed with grey. Antennae brown, greyish basally. Abdomen pinkish-grey. Legs greyish-brown, tarsi annulated with whitish. Forewings broad, dilated posteriorly, costa almost straight, apex obtuse, termen straight on upper half, rounded beneath; pinkish-grey; a short median longitudinal black fascia from base, apically dilated; first line indistinct, greyish, from ⅓ costa to before ½ dorsum, dark-margined posteriorly; orbicular large, greyish, margined with black; claviform touching first line, obscure, dark-margined above; reniform large, normal in shape, black-margined; an obscure dark shade inwardly oblique from bottom of reniform to dorsum; second line curved, waved, greyish, anteriorly dark-margined; subterminal well-defined, greyish, indented beneath costa, anteriorly dark-margined, margining dilated above tornus; a terminal series of black dots; fringes pinkish-grey with a faint median pale line. Hindwings greyish-fuscous; a thin black terminal line; fringes pale pinkish-grey.
Approaching M. olivea Watt, but much broader-winged and with a differently formed basal fascia.
Arthur's Pass, in February. Taken at light. The only specimen obtained (holotype) is in the coll. Cawthron Institute.
Catada lignicolaria Walk., Cat. Brit. Mus., 35, 1579.
Three specimens of this Tasmanian insect were sent to me by Mr. D. D. Milligan, of Leigh, North Auckland, who took the insect in that locality in January. It is the species formerly recorded from Thames as C. impropria Walk. by Mr. Meyrick (Trans. N.Z. Inst., 49, 246), but Dr. Jefferis Turner assures me that the New Zealand insect is C. lignicolaria, and having had an opportunity of examining examples of C. impropria, I have no hestitation in accepting his identification.
Fig. 1. Catada lignicolaria Walk. Harpe.
Fig. 2. Catada impropria Walk. Harpe.