Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 15.djvu/85

below middle, terminating immediately before anal angle; an elongate spot in middle of disc, interrupting anterior edge of central fascia, its upper edge emitting a sharp inwardly oblique tooth in middle; a very flattened-triangular spot on costa, extending from near middle to a little before apex; a sinuate longitudinal streak before middle of hindmargin: cilia ochreous-white, with a dark fuscous basal line, and barred with reddish-fuscous. Hindwings whitish, posteriorly suffusedly mottled with grey; cilia white, with a basal row of grey spots.

A curious and rather elegant species, perhaps of South American affinity.

I took one specimen at rest on a tree-trunk at Wellington in January, and Mr. R. W. Fereday has a second from the same locality, taken in February.

Thorax smooth. Antennæ in male shortly ciliated. Palpi moderate or elongate, porrected, roughly scaled. Forewings with costa simple in male. Hindwings broader than forewings. Forewings with 12 veins, 7 and 8 separate, 7 to hindmargin. Hindwings with 8 veins, 3 and 4 from a point, 5 very closely approximated to 4 at base, 6 and 7 stalked.

This genus cannot be considered truly indigenous to New Zealand, but I am not aware whether it could have been artificially introduced. The larva is believed to feed in the stems of Juncus, but is hardly known. The species here described is now cosmopolitan in range.

Minor, alis ant. ochreis fuscisve, sæpius vitta media saturate fusca, interdum perfracta vel obsoleta; post. griseo-albidis.

Male, female.—14–20 mm. Head and thorax varying from whitish-ochreous to ochreous-brown; palpi variable in length, sometimes very long. Forewings narrow, not dilated, costa gently arched, hindmargin nearly straight, oblique; pale ochreous, often suffused with fuscous, sometimes wholly fuscous mixed with reddish-ochreous; costa generally with numerous very fine oblique darker strigulæ; sometimes a straight ill-defined dark fuscous central streak from base to apex, entire or interrupted so as to form two or three irregular spots, or visible at apex only, or wholly absent: cilia varying from whitish-ochreous to fuscous. Hindwings grey-whitish, apex sometimes darker; cilia grey-whitish, sometimes with a darker line.

Very variable, some of the varieties tending to be localized.

Taken near Hamilton in January.

Thorax smooth. Antennæ in male shortly ciliated. Palpi moderate, porrected, second joint roughly scaled. Forewings with strong costal fold