Art. XVIII.—Descriptions of New Species of Lepidoptera.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 46, 1913, Page 118

Art. XVIII.—Descriptions of New Species of Lepidoptera. By Alfred Philpott. Communicated by Dr. W. B. Benham, F.R.S. [Read before the Otago Institute, 7th October, 1913.] Hydriomenidae. Tatosoma fasciata sp. nov. ♂♀. 31 mm. Head and thorax dull greyish-green. Palpi elongate, in ♂ 2, in ♀ 3, brownish-green mixed with grey. Antennae ochreous. Abdomen grey. Forewings, costa strongly arched at base, termen sinuate above middle, oblique, in ♂ greyish-green, in ♀ white; a thin irregular black line near base, its extremity produced shortly along dorsum, posteriorly margined with ochreous, especially near dorsum; an obscure whitish basal line; median band broad, blackish-brown, its anterior margin from ⅖ costa to ½ dorsum, irregular, in ♂ widely indented at middle and oblique at dorsum, posterior margin from before ¾ costa to ¾ dorsum, moderately angled above middle; an elongate black discal dot; three or four indistinct waved dark-green lines between basal line and median band, in ♀ more distinct and suffused with ochreous; in ♀ median band margined on both sides with ochreous and broadly centred with ground-colour; subterminal line indistinct, waved, white, preceded by two or more obscure dark-greenish lines, in ♀ these are ochreous and the termen also broadly ochreous; a series of paired black dots along termen: cilia grey with darker line. Hindwings shining white, in ♀ with faint broad median and terminal shades; lobe in ♂ ¼: cilia shining white. Not very closely related to any other species of Tatosoma; compared with the other small-lobed forms, it is distinguished from tipulata, by the posterior edge of the median band not being bent obliquely outwards near dorsum, and from topea by the white hindwings and elongate palpi. Lake McKenzie, in November. ♂ and ♀ types, the only specimens at present known, taken by Messrs. M. O. Pasco and J. Speden. Venusia dissimilis sp. nov. ♂♀. 35 mm. Head ochreous-brown. Palpi black. Antennae fuscous, whitish in♀. Thorax and abdomen brown mixed with ochreous and grey.

Forewings triangular, costa faintly sinuate in middle, apex subacute, termen bowed, oblique; ochreous-brown; veins dotted alternately with black and white; a number of blackish faintly-waved lines from costa to dorsum, inwardly very oblique; four or five from apex to near middle of dorsum more pronounced and forming an obscure median band; a thin black waved terminal line; a black discal dot: cilia ochreous-brown with two darker lines. Hindwings, costa elongate, termen almost straight, waved; whitish-grey; numerous faint waved brown lines parallel to termen, a more distinct darker one beyond middle followed by lighter ground-colour: cilia as in forewings. ♀. as ♂, but ground-colour grey-brown. Nearest to V. verriculata, but very distinct; the unusual form of the hindwing is comparable only with Epirranthis hemipteraria. Ben Lomond, in February; two of each sex taken by Mr. M. O. Pasco. Selidosemidae. Selidosema lutea sp. nov. ♂. 47 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax dull yellowish-brown, face paler. Antennae moderately bipectinated, yellowish - brown. Abdomen pale yellow-brown. Forewings strongly arched at base, costa faintly sinuate, apex subacute, termen sinuate, rounded beneath, oblique; dull yellowishbrown with a few scattered blackish scales, most plentiful near apex; basal line indicated by a few blackish scales at dorsum; first line much interrupted, dentate, black, most pronounced as an inwardly oblique mark on dorsum; a series of obscure interneural black dots on termen: cilia dull yellowish-brown with obscure darker line. Hindwings, termen sinuate; very pale yellowish-brown; a prominent black discal dot and some black scales round termen: cilia pale yellowish-brown with faint darker line and tips whitish. Nearest to S. lupinata, but that species differs in the yellower hindwings without discal lunule, and is also a considerably smaller form. Bold Peak, Humboldt Range. A single ♂ taken by Mr. C. Fenwick in December, 1913. Several others were secured by Mr. W. G. Howes in February, 1914. Crambidae. Orocrambus scoparioides sp. nov. ♂. 17 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax reddish-brown, palpi mixed with yellowish. Antennae fuscous. Abdomen brown, somewhat yellow laterally. Forewings, costa straight, apex subacute, termen straight, rounded beneath, slightly oblique; bright reddish-brown, rather infuscated towards base; a linear yellowish mark along dorsum at base; first line white, obscure, inwardly indented at middle, broadly margined with fuscous posteriorly; some white suffusion following this, more pronounced on dorsal half; second line white, distinct, outwardly indented above middle; veins irregularly marked with black: cilia ochreous-brown with darker basal line Hindwings dark fuscous: cilia ochreous, paler on apical half. Undersides brownish-yellow. A remarkable form, remote from any species of the genus yet discovered, and superficially closely resembling a Scoparia. Ben Lomond, December. Two taken by Mr. C. Fenwick at about 3,800 ft., and another obtained at Paradise in April. Mr. W. G. Howes also took a specimen at Commissioner's Creek in February. Probably generally distributed throughout the Wakatipu district.

Tortricidae. Tortrix tigris sp. nov. ♂. 22 mm. Head and palpi ochreous. Antennae ochreous, annulated with black, ciliations 1. Thorax pale ochreous mixed with brown. Abdomen pale ochreous-grey. Forewings elongate-ovate, costa strongly arched, fold ⅔, apex subacute, termen markedly sinuate, slightly oblique; whitishochreous mixed with brown; markings fuscous-brown, distinct; posterior edge of basal patch very oblique, deeply and widely indented at middle'; median fascia very broad, anterior edge from ⅓ costa to beyond ½ dorsum, almost straight posterior edge from ⅔ costa to tornus, sinuate; an irregularly wedge-shaped fascia midway between median fascia and apex, its anterior edge strongly sinuate: cilia fuscous-brown. Hindwings whitish-grey, faintly ochreoustinged round termen: cilia whitish-grey, fuscous towards apex. Nearest to T. torogramma, but easily distinguished by the form of the basal patch and the median fascia. Tisbury, Invercargill. One example, beaten from Dicksonia fibrosa, in January. Harmologa palliata sp. nov. ♂. 24–27 mm. Antennae black annulated with whitish. Head, palpi, And thorax dark fuscous mixed with yellowish-grey. Abdomen dark fuscous, segmental divisions grey. Forewings suboblong, costa rather straight, fold slight, termen slightly oblique, rounded beneath; dark fuscous, densely strewn with pale-yellow scales which tend to become tinged with blue near costa and dorsum: cilia fuscous-grey, darker near apex. Hindwings dark reddishfuscous, sometimes strongly suffused with red in disc: cilia grey, with one or more obscure darker lines. Undersides: Forewings bright yellow with suffused fuscous blotch on apical third; hindwings bright yellow with scattered fuscous scales. ♀. 29 mm. Head, palpi, thorax, and abdomen grey-whitish tinged with yellow. Forewings oblong, termen faintly sinuate; pale fuscous, thickly strewn with light-yellow scales, towards middle of costa scales tend to become bluish-white: cilia grey mixed with fuscous, Hindwings fuscousgrey tinged with pale yellow: cilia white with two obscure darker lines. Undersides: Forewings yellowish-grey; hindwings pale clear yellow. Distinguished from all the other large species of Harmologa, except aenea, by the absence of markings on the forewings. The latter species I have not seen, but palliata seems to differ in the colour of both fore and hind wings. Obelisk, Old Man Range, Central Otago. Taken commonly by Messrs. A. Hamilton and W. G. Howes early in February, 1912. I am indebted to Mr. Howes for three fine males. In December of the same year I found both sexes fairly plentiful on the Takitimu Mountains at about 3,500 ft. Oecophoridae. Cremnogenes nigra sp. nov. ♂. 15–17 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, and abdomen black, antennal ciliations 4½, in whorls at joints. Forewings moderate, termen oblique; blackish-fuscous; a broad white irregular stripe along dorsum from base to near tornus, mixed with yellow at base, bent upwards and enclosing a spot of ground-colour on posterior half, sometimes more or less obsolete: cilia dark fuscous Hindwings and cilia dark fuscous.

Differs from C. oxyina in the larger size, absence of lateral thoracic spots, and more uniform colour. Ben Lomond, in November. Common on Nothofagus Solandri, at 2,000 ft. to 3,000 ft. Hepialidae. Porina fusca sp. nov. ♂. 32–35 mm. Head and thorax dark brownish-ochreous. Antennae shortly bipectinate. Abdomen grey. Forewings, costa straight, apex obtuse, termen obliquely rounded; dark fuscous-brown; veins outlined with darker; a triangular white dot below costa at ⅓, margined beneath with black; an irregular more or less triangular white spot beyond this, margined with black; an irregularly sinuate white mark from base at middle to before ½, suffusedly margined with black; a white dot on dorsum at ½, margined beneath by a ∧-shaped black mark; an indistinct chain of whitemargined fuscous spots from costa near apex to tornus, ending on tornus in a ∧-shaped black mark; a subterminal series of obscure white-centred fuscous marks; a series of interneural triangular fuscous dots on termen: cilia ochreous, indistinctly barred with fuscous. Hindwings fuscous: cilia as in forewings. ♀. 35 mm. Forewings light fuscous, markings almost obsolete; indications of a dark streak from base below costa, another below this, and a white spot in disc at about ½: cilia fuscous mixed with ochreous. Hindwings pale fuscous-grey: cilia as in forewings. Nearest to P. despecta, but smaller, and with a different arrangement of spots. The lower basal streak seems to be the most distinctive marking. Bold Peak, Humboldt Range; and Ben Lomond, Wakatipu. The first specimen brought under my notice was taken by Mr. C. Fenwick, who found it common on Bold Peak, at 4,500 ft., in December. Mr. M. O. Pasco also met with it commonly on Ben Lomond in the same month. Probably the species is distributed throughout the Wakatipu region. Porina aurimaculata sp. nov. ♂. 70 mm. Head and thorax dark brown. Antennae reddish, strongly bipectinate. Abdomen ochreous - fuscous. Forewings elongate, termen strongly oblique; bright brown tinged with ochreous and suffused with darker on basal half of costa; an irregular dark-fuscous blotch on dorsum at base; a similar blotch beyond this, irregularly margined with white; a large broadly oval, dark-fuscous spot below middle at ¼, touching similar spot obliquely beyond, irregularly white-margined; several white, or dark fuscous margined with white, spots in disc; some bent linear whitish marks on costa at ½; a double series of irregular dark-fuscous spots parallel with termen, more or less white-margined, and those towards middle goldencentred; a terminal series of small white-margined fuscous spots: cilia ochreous, barred with dark fuscous, tips somewhat whitish. Hindwings ochreous-brown: cilia as in forewings. This magnificent species differs from all the other members of the genus, except P. dinodes, in the strongly bipectinated antennae of the ♂. From P. dinodes it can be separated by the narrower wings and the golden-centred spots. The pectinations of the antennae are also slightly shorter in P. aurimaculata. The Hermitage, Mount Cook. A single specimen taken at light on; the 28th March by Mr. F. S. Oliver.