New Zealand Moths and Butterflies (Macro-Lepidoptera)Hudson, G. V. (George Vernon)
Science
New Zealand Moths and Butterflies (Macro-Lepidoptera)
Hudson, G. V. (George Vernon)
Lepidoptera -- New Zealand
The expansion of the wings is almost an inch. _All the wings are very
pale greenish-white with numerous faint green, wavy, transverse lines._
The fore-wings have a more or less distinct brown band on the costal
edge, and a conspicuous greenish central dot. The hind-wings often have a
slight projection on the termen near the middle.
The perfect insect appears from October till May, and frequents dense
forest undergrowth. It is chiefly attached to the Kawakawa (_Piper
excelsum_), and may often be found resting with outspread wings on the
under-surfaces of the leaves of this plant, where it is very inconspicuous.
There are probably two or more broods during the summer.
On the 11th of May, 1892, I observed large numbers of this species flying
over the Manuka bushes in the Wellington Botanical Gardens in brilliant
moonlight. The night was very cold, but notwithstanding this the moths were
most numerous and active. The appearance of this insect under such unusual
conditions may have been quite accidental, as I have never seen a
recurrence; but one is often somewhat unobservant in the winter, hence the
record of this observation may be of use in directing the attention of
others to the subject.
According to Mr. Meyrick this species is also found in Tasmania, and
South-east Australia.
ASTHENA SCHISTARIA, Walk.
(_Acidalia schistaria_, Walk. 782. _Asthena subpurpureata_, Walk. 1588.
_Acidalia tuhuata_, Feld. cxxviii. 5. _Asthena schistaria_, Meyr., Trans.
N. Z. Inst. xvi. 69.)
(Plate VI., figs. 39, 40 [M], 41, 42 [F] varieties.)
This pretty species is common, and generally distributed throughout the
country.
The expansion of the wings is nearly an inch. _All the wings vary from
very pale brown to rather dull purplish-brown; there are numerous jagged,
darker, transverse lines forming several more or less distinct bands._
The first of these bands extends from the base to about one-eighth; the
second, composed of only two or three lines, is situated at about
one-third; the third extends from {53}three-fourths to about
five-eighths; there are in addition, numerous very fine, wavy lines near
the termen. The spaces between these bands are paler, and in some
specimens the bands are very conspicuous, whilst in others they are
hardly perceptible. One specimen in my collection (Plate VI., fig. 39)
has a very broad chocolate-brown band across the middle of both pairs of
wings, the remaining portions being unusually pale in colour. There is
always a dark brown dot in the centre of each wing, and a series of very
fine dots on the termen.
The larva, which feeds on Manuka (_Leptospermum_), is very ornamental.
Its general colour is light green, with black dorsal and lateral stripes,
and a series of diagonal markings bordered with crimson; the legs and
prolegs are also crimson, and the segments are divided by brilliant
yellow rings, a white line extending down each side of the larva.
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