The perfect insect appears from October till February. It frequents dense undergrowth in the forest, and is generally found resting with extended wings on the dark-coloured stems of the kawakawa (_Piper excelsum_), where it is practically invisible. In this situation its colouring is evidently specially adapted for protective purposes. {46}Genus 5.--ELVIA, Walk. "Face smooth. Palpi rather long, straight, porrected, densely rough-scaled above and beneath, terminal joint short. Antennæ in male stout, flattened, bipectinated (2½). Thorax somewhat crested. Fore-wings with vein 6 from a point with 9, 7 from angle of areole, 10 anastomosing moderately with 9, 11 out of 10, running shortly into 12. Hind-wings with veins 6 and 7 stalked, 8 anastomosing with 7 from near base to near transverse vein."--(Meyrick.) We have one species. ELVIA GLAUCATA, Walk. (_Elvia glaucata_, Walk. 1431; Feld. cxxxii. 25. _Elvia donovani_, Feld. cxxxii. 5. _Elvia glaucata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 65.) (Plate VI., fig. 23 and 24 varieties.) This very pretty insect is generally distributed throughout the country. The expansion of the wings is about an inch. _The fore-wings vary from pale green to dark steely blue_, rarely pale reddish-brown; _there is an almost straight, black transverse line near the base; a broad curved line before the middle, shaded towards the termen; then a straight line, breaking up into dots towards the dorsum, followed by a conspicuous cream-coloured blotch near the costa; this again is followed by a fine jagged cream-coloured line_; there is a terminal series of black dots. The hind-wings are cream-coloured, tinged with steely blue or green towards the termen; there are a few obscure transverse lines and a short series of dots from the dorsum. The apex of the fore-wing is very blunt, and the termen is slightly hollowed out towards the tornus; _the termen of the hind-wings is deeply scalloped_. This species is extremely variable. In addition to the variations above indicated, the markings of many specimens differ considerably in intensity, and there are frequently several large cream-coloured blotches towards the base or middle of the forewings.