Genus Archyala Meyr.

Archyala homerica n.sp. Plate 2. Figs. 4-5.

Expanse of the forewings, 21 mm; costa strongly arched, apex receding, tornus rounded. Venation of the hindwing corresponds with the less common form of Archyala in which the veins run straight through without forming a cell; venation of the forewings is normal for the genus.

General colouration: Dark brown and white with bronzy reflections; the body dark brown with silvery white patches on top of the head, and narrow transverse silvery white bands across the abdomen; basal segment of palp dark brown, terminal segment silvery; antennae filiform, ochreous or silvery speckled with dark brown; legs dark brown. Forewings silvery white overlaid by irregular broad dark brown transverse bands passing from the costa to the dorsum. There are three conspicuous broad dark brown bars on the distal half of the costa, a central paler bar forming part of the median shade and 7-10 narrow dark brown bars across the basal half of the costa; apical patch always white, bisected by a dark brown apical bar; dark brown shading along the termen below the apical patch, and inside this a very conspicuous “V”-shaped or “U”-shaped silvery white patch; the tornus white and marked by a fringe of long silvery white cilia; the dorsum marked by 3-5 broad dark brown bars; hindwings grey with silvery reflections. Cilia of the forewings bronzy brown, banded basally with dark brown except on the tornus; cilia of hindwings pale silvery grey.

Type and twelve Paratypes in the Dominion Museum Collections.

Locality. Homer Cirque, near mouth of Homer Tunnel, early February, at light between midnight and 2 a.m. on warm, still nights.

This beautiful little moth comes between Archyala paraglypta and A. pentazyga, being bigger than either of these and much more conspicuously marked and characterised by its distinct apical patch and silvery white “V” or “U”-shaped mark inside the termen.

Dr. J. T. Salmon, F.R.S.N.Z, F.R E.S.

Zoology Department
Victoria University College
P.O. Box 196,
Wellington, New Zealand.