Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 60, 1930, Page 300

Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera. By Alfred Philpott, Hon. Research Worker in Lepidoptera, Cawthron Institute, Nelson. [Read before the Nelson Philosophical Society, 24th April, 1929; received by Editor, 29th April, 1929; issued separately, 17th August, 1929.] Nymphalidae. Hypolimnas bolina L. A fresh male of H. bolina was seen in the Cawthron Institute grounds by Mr. E. S. Gourlay in February, 1929. Noctuidae. Ichneutica nervosa Huds. This fine species, described from a single male captured by Mr. F. S. Oliver on Bold Peak in 1920, though apparently very rare, seems to be widely spread, as a female was taken by the writer on the Mount Arthur Tableland in December last. The specimen was secured during the forenoon on open, tussock country at about 4,000 ft. Leucania toroneura Meyr. Long series of this species were taken by Mr. S. Lindsay and myself at Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki in December. In general appearance it is remarkably like L. unica Walk., but is easily distinguished by structural differences in the antennae of the male. In toroneura, beneath each pair of pectinations, there is a prominent blunt protuberance; this structure is hardly noticeable in unica. The pectinations are also slightly longer in toroneura. The ground colour of unica is distinctly more ochreous and the veins are rarely so well outlined in black as in toroneura. Melanchra ludibunda n. sp. ♂. 38 mm. Head, palpi and thorax reddish-brown mixed with ochreous and white, tegulae centrally ochreous-grey-whitish margined with blackish-brown, thorax with moderate anterior crest. Antennae reddish-brown. Abdomen strongly crested, reddish-brown mixed with ochreous. Legs reddish-brown, tarsi suffusedly annulated with ochreous. Forewings, costa hardly arched, apex blunt, termen crenulate; dark reddish-brown mixed with ochreous; basal line dentate, not reaching dorsum, but connecting with short basal streak, ochreous margined with blackish; 1st line from ⅓ costa to ⅓ dorsum, upper portion obscure, deeply indented below middle, ochreous white, anteriorly margined with blackish; 2nd line obscure above middle, serrate on lower half, ochreous-whitish; median band blackish-brown, narrower on lower half; orbicular oval, oblique, faintly outlined in whitish; claviform faintly outlined in blackish; reniform mostly white posteriorly, two white dots marking lower outer margin; subterminal line thin, indented beneath costa, bi-dentate at ⅔, whitish; space between 2nd line and subterminal paler (in one example ochreous-

white); an interrupted dark line round termen: fringes ochreous-whitish with a median series of dark lunular spots. Hindwings dark fuscous: fringes ochreous-white with a pinkish-brown median line. Recalls M. ochthistis Meyr., but is more variegated in colour and has the lines more strongly dentate. Mount Arthur Tableland, in December. Two females. Holotype and paratype in coll. Cawthron Institute. Dasypodia cymatodes Guen. Two examples of this species were taken in Nelson during March, 1929. The first, in perfect condition, was secured by Mr. C. Fraser and the second by Mr. L. W. Tiller. These are, I believe, the only records for the South Island. Selidosemidae. Selidosema modica Philp. When the above species was described the female was unknown. Mr. A. V. Chappell has now worked out the life-history and in the process has reared several females. One of these he has kindly submitted to me and I have made it the allotype, returning the specimen to its discoverer. The colour and markings are much the same as in the male, but the forewings are smaller, narrower and more triangular. Crambidae. Crambus lectus n. sp. ♂ ♀. 26–27 mm. Head white, median frontal area ochreous. Palpi white, ochreous beneath. Antennae white above, chocolate beneath, ciliations in male ½. Thorax ochreous-white, tegulae ochreous. Abdomen ochreous. Legs ochreous, anterior pair bronzy brown. Forewings in male moderately broad, costa moderately arched, apex angular, termen slightly rounded, oblique (in female much narrower with the apex acute); pale ochreous; extreme costal edge white; a rather broad slightly arched median white streak, strongly margined beneath from base to apex with bronzy brown; some indistinct white streaks, alternating with bronzy brown, on apical area above; veins below median streak thinly marked with white towards termen; extreme edge of dorsum more or less whitish: fringes white. Hindwings greyish-fuscous: fringes white. Distinguished from most of its allies by the extent of the dark margining below the median streak; from apselias, which possesses a similar character, it can be separated by the dark hindwings. Lake Tekapo, in December. Three males and a female taken on the shores of the lake. Holotype (♂), allotype (♀) and paratypes in coll. Cawthron Institute. Pyraustidae. Scoparia repercussa n. sp. ♂ ♀. 19–25 mm. Head ochreous margined with white, frons paler. Palpi ochreous mixed with fuscous and black. Antennae blackish-fuscous, in male minutely ciliated. Thorax deep olive (Ridgway), collar tinged with purplish. Abdomen whitish-ochreous, basal segments somewhat brassy. Legs purplish-fuscous irrorated with

white, tarsi annulated with whitish. Forewings elongate, narrow basally, costa sinuate, apex obtuse, termen rounded, not very oblique; deep olive, iridescent; lines ochreous-white; 1st line very broad, outwardly oblique, posteriorly dark margined, broadly indented at middle; 2nd line prominent, inwardly oblique, straight, serrate, anteriorly dark margined; subterminal line obscure, remote from second line, indented at middle; an indistinct dark blotch above tornus; orbicular large, dark-margined, pale-centred; claviform similar to orbicular and situated directly beneath it; reniform indistinct, 8-shaped, outwardly oblique: fringes grey mixed with olive. Hindwings and fringes shining white. Not closely approaching any other Scoparia. The narrow wings and broad first line are good characters for recognition. Lake Tekapo, in December. Three specimens were secured among lowly herbage on the shingly shores of the lake. A good series was also taken at the same spot by Mr. and Mrs. S. Lindsay. Holotype (♂), allotype (♀) and a male paratype in coll. Cawthron Institute. Eucosmidae. Spilonota emplasta Meyr. Since securing the type material of this species at Invercargill in 1900 I had not again met with it till last year (1928), when a good series was taken in some swampy forest at Lake Rotoroa late in November. The species can easily be distinguished from the slightly smaller S. zopherana Meyr. by the large blackish-fuscous blotch on the middle third of the costa of the forewing. Gelechiidae. Gelechia lenis n. sp. ♂. 13–14 mm. Head white. Palpi white, apex of terminal segment sometimes fuscous. Antennae fuscous. Thorax white mixed with fuscous. Abdomen whitish-grey, basal segments brassy tinged. Legs whitish-ochreous mixed with fuscous, tarsi annulated with ochreous. Forewings, costa straight, apex rounded, termen very oblique; grey; a much darker costal area extending from base to beyond ½, reaching to plical fold and attenuated to apex; a dull ochreous suffusion commencing in fold near base and expanding in disc; area beneath fold whitish; a black dash along fold to about ⅙, dilated apically; two or three black spots following this above fold and some scattered blackish scales towards apex: fringes greyish-ochreous with a few fuscous scales. Hindwings silvery white: fringes whitish-ochreous. Resembles Phthorimaea operculella Z. (which I think is really congeneric), but differs in the white head, the differently shaped plical streak and the absence of the series of blackish streaks round termen. Lake Pukaki, in December. Six males. Holotype (♂) and a series of paratypes in coll. Cawthron Institute. Oecophoridae. Borkhausenia angularis n. sp. ♂ ♀. 16–20 mm. Head and thorax grey. Palpi grey mixed with blackish and ochreous. Antennae grey, ciliations in male ¾. Abdomen greyish-ochreous, in female mixed with fuscous. Legs ochreous,

more or less irrorated with fuscous, tarsi annulated with fuscous. Forewings moderate, costa well arched, apex round-pointed, termen very oblique; whitish-grey; a suffused fuscous bar from costa at ⅓ inwardly oblique to dorsum at ¼; following this a large triangular whitish area, its apex on costa, enclosing dot-like 1st discal and plical spots; a dark fascia following posterior margin of triangular patch, embracing 2nd discal spot, which is blackish margined beneath with white; a suffused dark patch on costa before apex: fringes grey dotted with fuscous. Hindwings grey, irrorated with fuscous round apex and termen. Superficially nearest to B. seclusa Philp., but with differently formed and more prominent markings. Lake Rotoroa, in January. Three males and one female taken in mixed forest at the foot of the lake. Holotype (♂), allotype (♀) and paratypes in coll. Cawthron Institute. Fig. 1.—Borkhausenia angularis n. sp.: a, male genitalia, lateral view; b, harpe, inner view. Fig. 2.—Borkhausenia honesta n. sp.: a, male genitalia, lateral view; b, harpe, inner view; c, aedeagus. Borkhausenia honesta n. sp. ♂. 16–19 mm. Head and thorax grey. Palpi fuscous; terminal segment mixed with ochreous. Antennae fuscous, ciliations in ♂ 1¼. Abdomen grey. Legs ochreous, anterior pair fuscous with tarsi obscurely annulated with ochreous. Forewings moderate, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, termen very oblique; grey, strongly suffused with white in disc; markings blackish-fuscous; an obscure median blotch near base; 1st discal and plical round, plical obliquely before 1st discal; 2nd discal white-centred, open beneath; a thin subterminal line, deeply indented beneath costa; some blackish scales above tornus and round termen; fringes grey with some blackish scales. Hindwings fuscous-grey; fringes grey with two obscure darker lines.

Differs from B. angularis in the longer antennal pectinations and the absence of the triangular white area of the forewings. Lake Tekapo, 3 males, and Lake Pukaki, 1 male, in December. Holotype (♂) and paratypes in coll. Cawthron Institute. Borkhausenia bellatula n. sp. ♂. 16.5 mm. Head and thorax whitish-ochreous, tegulae fuscous. Palpi ochreous sprinkled with fuscous, basal half of second segment wholly fuscous. Antennae fuscous annulated with ochreous, minutely ciliated. Abdomen grey, anal tuft ochreous. Forewings moderate, costa strongly arched, apex rounded, termen rounded, oblique; whitish-ochreous irrorated with grey; markings blackish-fuscous; a small suffused blotch on costa at base, extending beneath a long fold to plical spot which is absorbed in it; a few scales on dorsum at base; 1st discal round, obliquely beyond plical; 2nd discal large, round; a triangular spot on costa before apex; fringes whitish-ochreous sprinkled with grey and fuscous. Hindwings silvery white: fringes whitish-ochreous with some grey scales. Somewhat resembling B. ancogramma Meyr., but a much paler species. Lake Rotoroa, in January. A single male. Holotye (♂) in coll. Cawthron Institute. Borkhausenia decora Philp. Three further examples of this brilliant species were taken at Lake Rotoroa in January. One of these was a female and it has been made the allotype and placed in the Cawthron Institute collection. Copromorphidae. Isonomeutis amauropa Meyr. In a paper on I. amauropa (there misspelt aumaropa) in Trans. N.Z. Inst., 58, 371, I stated that Meyrick, in 1923, had reinstated this peculiar form in the Tortricoidea. This was an error; Meyrick placed the species in the Copromorphidae, a family of the Tineoidea. In the article referred to above the writer indicated that he regarded Isonomeutis as constituting a distinct family. For the present, however, pending the study of the chaetotaxy of the larva, it may be advisable to leave it in its present position. Mnesarchaeidae. Mnesarchaea acuta n. sp. The above name is proposed for the species which has been generally known by New Zealand lepidopterists as M. hamadelpha Meyr. The true hamadelpha is, I learn from Mr. Meyrick, the insect which I described under the name of M. similis (Trans. N.Z. Inst., 59, 490). M. acuta differs from M. hamadelpha in having the thorax white instead of ochreous; also, the basal fuscous streak of the forewing is apically pointed and bent obliquely downwards in acuta, while in hamadelpha it is bent abruptly downwards and has a blunt or suffused apex. M. acuta appears to be generally distributed throughout the greater part of New Zealand, but M. hamadelpha has as yet been taken only in the Nelson province. Holotype (♂), allotype (♀) and a series of paratypes in coll. Cawthron Institute.