Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 15.djvu/36

more or less slightly greyish-tinged, closely but irregularly irrorated with blackish; a suffused curved blackish spot extending from inner margin near base to base of costa; an irregular oblique blackish patch in disc at ⅓ from base, extending suffusedly to costa, and suffusedly connected beneath with a small blackish spot on inner margin at ¼, its posterior edge bordered by a pale oblique outwardly curved line from ⅓ of costa to before middle of inner margin, shortly dentate at ⅓ from costa, posteriorily margined by a blackish line, forming a small spot on costa and a rather larger one on inner margin; a small oblique transverse clear white spot in disc beyond middle, surrounded by a blackish suffusion, forming a black spot below middle, and a black spot on costa at ⅗; an indistinct obscurely-dentate pale line, margined on each side indistinctly with blackish, from costa at ⅘ to inner margin before anal angle, somewhat angulated inwards below costa, thence gently curved, anterior black line forming two small confluent black spots towards inner margin, posterior line forming a blackish wedge-shaped spot on costa: cilia ochreous-white, with a regularly-interrupted blackish-grey line towards base, and another towards extremities, costal cilia white, with a blackish-grey spot above last transverse line. Hindwings grey, rather darker posteriorily, with a faintly indicated pale line a little before hindmargin; cilia ochreous-grey-whitish, with two light grey lines.

Female.—9½–11½ mm. Forewings very narrow, oblong; hindwings proportionately shorter, rounded; markings as in male, but cramped and obscured.

Superficially the male of this species rather suggests a small dark Thin. leucophthalma, especially by the similarity of the white discal spot, but the black basal markings of the latter species afford a ready distinction.

I found this species plentifully, sitting on the face of the bare volcanic rock which projects in many places from the soil of the hills near Christchurch; it was reluctant to take wing, perhaps owing to the prevalence of high winds. The female, when disturbed, ran with considerable activity, but was quite incapable of flying.

Larva moderately stout, cylindrical, wrinkled, very sluggish; rather dark greyish-fuscous on back, much lighter on sides; spots minute, blackish, obscure; head fuscous. Feeds beneath a light shelter of silk on lichen-dust on rocks, living in a crevice, and issuing forth beneath its shelter to feed. I found the imago in fresh condition in March, and at the same time I discovered the larva in all stages, so that there is probably a succession of broods.

Antennæ of male very finely ciliated. Labial palpi rather short, somewhat triangular. Forewings with hindmargin twice indented on upper half;