Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 15.djvu/33

This genus is largely represented in Australia, but very little elsewhere; I have only one New Zealand species. None of the larvæ are known, but from the habits of the imago there can be no doubt that they feed on grasses, probably amongst the roots. The imagos are commonly large and handsomely marked, but the New Zealand species is one of the dullest in colouring.

Male, female.—19–23 mm. Head light greyish-ochreous, sometimes fuscous-tinged. Palpi light greyish-ochreous, strongly mixed with blackish-fuscous, labial palpi very long. Antennæ greyish-fuscous. Thorax light greyish-ochreous, more or less strongly mixed with blackish-fuscous. Abdomen whitish-ochreous, suffusedly irrorated with dark fuscous. Legs whitish-ochreous, irrorated with dark fuscous; anterior and middle tibiæ and tarsi suffused with blackish except at apex of joints, posterior tarsi dark fuscous towards base of joints. Forewings moderately broad, triangular, costa very slightly arched, somewhat bent before apex, apex obtusely pointed, hindmargin moderately oblique, rather strongly sinuate below apex; ochreous-whitish, when fresh slightly pinkish or purplish-tinged, thickly and coarsely irrorated with dark fuscous, towards inner margin slightly more ochreous-tinged, and towards disc more or less strongly suffused with light ochreous-fuscous; a small irregular black spot on inner margin almost at base, and a similar one below costa almost at base; an irregular sinuate longitudinal black streak, attenuated at extremities, extending almost from base along submedian fold to ⅓ from base; an elongate-ovate black spot in disc rather above and beyond posterior extremity of the sinuate streak, anterior end rather acute; a rather ill-defined dark fuscous transverse line, preceded by a pale line, from costa at ⅗ to middle of inner margin, most distinct on costal half, twice dentate beneath costa, bent round posterior extremity of the black spot, and again twice dentate above inner margin; a short suffused inwardly oblique dark fuscous mark on costa beyond middle; a sharply-defined obliquely transverse elongate white black-margined spot in disc at ⅗, upper part slightly greyish-tinged; a double indistinctly dentate dark fuscous transverse line, enclosing a pale line, from about ⅘ of costa to inner margin a little before anal angle, upper third rather inwardly oblique, lower two-thirds strongly outwards-curved, forming indistinct spots on costa and in middle: cilia ochreous-whitish, with two ill-defined dark grey lines. Hindwings whitish-fuscous-grey, with an indistinct darker band along hindmargin, not extending to anal angle, closely preceded by an indistinct suffused dark line; cilia ochreous-whitish, with a broad fuscous-grey line near base, and a much fainter one posteriorly.