Sub-family 3.--_CARADRINIDES_.
"Eyes naked, not ciliated."
Genus 9.--BITYLA, Walk.
"Antennæ in male filiform, shortly ciliated. Thorax not crested, collar
sub-erect. Abdomen not crested."--(Meyrick).
Of this genus we have two species in New Zealand.
BITYLA DEFIGURATA, Walk.
(_Xylina defigurata_, Walk., Suppl. 756. _Bityla thoracica_, ib. 869.
_Bityla defigurata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 31.)
(Plate V., fig. 33.)
This species has been taken at Palmerston in the North Island, and at
Blenheim, Christchurch, Lake Coleridge, Dunedin, and West Plains near
Invercargill, in the South Island.
The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. _The fore-wings are uniform dull
bronzy-brown and very glossy_; there are one or two faint indications of
transverse lines. The hind-wings are dark grey, also glossy.
The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March, and is
attracted by light. The single specimen I possess in my collection was
taken in July, evidently hibernating. It is a rare species.
BITYLA SERICEA, Butl.
(_Bityla sericea_, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1877, 387, pl. xlii. 12;
Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 31.)
(Plate V., fig. 34.)
This rather striking insect has occurred at Wellington in the North Island,
and at Christchurch and Lake Guyon in the South Island.
{30}The expansion of the wings is about 1¾ inches. _The fore-wings are
very dark greyish-black, darker near the termen, and very glossy_; there
are several isolated white scales towards the base of the wing, and a
very obscure transverse line at about three-fourths; the cilia are cream
colour and very conspicuous. The hind-wings are dark grey and glossy;
_the cilia are pale grey, very broadly tipped with cream colour_.
The perfect insect appears in February and March, and is attracted by
light. It is a rather scarce species.
Genus 10.--AGROTIS, Ochs.
Head rough-scaled; eyes naked. Antennæ in [M] ciliated, often acutely
bidentate or bipectinated, with apex simple. Thorax usually with more or
less developed anterior and posterior crests. Abdomen not crested. Tibiæ
all spinose.
"A very large genus occurring all over the world but much more plentifully
in the northern hemisphere. The larvæ are very indiscriminate in their
tastes, often feeding on almost any low plant; they are frequently
subterranean in habit, but usually emerge by night to feed."--(Meyrick.)
This genus is represented in New Zealand by five species, one of which is
an insect of almost world-wide distribution.
AGROTIS YPSILON, Rott.
(_Noctua ypsilon_, Rott. Agrotis suffusa, Hb. _Agrotis ypsilon_, Meyr.,
Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 32.)
(Plate V., fig. 35 [M], 36 [F].)
This handsome insect is probably very common throughout the country. It has
occurred abundantly at Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Ashburton
and Invercargill.
The expansion of the wings is 2 inches. The fore-wings are pale brown,
shaded with rich brown on the costa and termen; the reniform is large and
black, with a conspicuous longitudinal streak pointing towards the
termen; the orbicular is round, centred with black; the claviform is
elongate; there is a dark shaded line below the reniform, followed by a
double wavy transverse black line. The hind-wings are grey with pinkish
reflections; they are shaded with darker grey towards the termen; the
cilia are white, the head and thorax are dark brown, the abdomen grey. In
the female the brown costal shading extends across the central portions
of the fore-wings to the dorsum, and the general colouring is also
darker.
There are no noteworthy variations in either sex. The larva feeds on the
roots of grasses. Its head is pale brown mottled with darker brown, and its
body is lead-colour with darker dorsal and lateral lines. It remains
underground during the daytime, coming abroad at night to feed.
The pupa is red-brown with a very sharp, spine-like extremity. It is
concealed in the earth.[18]
The perfect insect appears in January, February and March. It is often very
abundant at various blossoms in the evening, and comes readily to sugar. It
is an insect of almost universal distribution, occurring in Australia,
China, India, Africa, Europe, and North and South America.[19]
{31}AGROTIS ADMIRATIONIS, Gn.
(_Agrotis admirationis_, Gn. (nec Meyrick), Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 38.)
(Plate V., fig. 37.)
This species has been taken at Christchurch.
The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are dull grey;
there are two minute black marks on the costa near the base, a slender
interrupted transverse line at about one-third, _the orbicular, reniform,
and claviform spots are very large and conspicuous, surrounded by a dark
grey shading_; there is a series of black dots on the termen. The
hind-wings are pale grey. The cilia of all the wings are also pale grey.
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection. I am
assured by Mr. Fereday that the above-described insect is the true _Agrotis
admirationis_ of Guenée, described from an identical specimen which he
forwarded to Guenée. The following species, which is regarded by Mr.
Meyrick as _Agrotis admirationis_, Gn. (see Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 33), is
therefore renamed as below.
AGROTIS INNOMINATA, n. sp.
(_Agrotis admirationis_, Meyr. (nec Guenée), Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 33.)
(Plate V., fig. 39 [M].)
Two specimens of this species have been taken at Wellington.
The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. The fore-wings are pale
pinkish-yellow; there is a slender black longitudinal streak on the costa
at the base, _a broad black longitudinal streak at the base near the
middle, and another a little beyond the base above the middle, containing
the orbicular and reniform stigmata, these are sharply outlined in
pinkish-yellow_; there are several rather indistinct black streaks
between the veins, and a series of terminal black dots; the cilia are
dull pinkish-yellow. The hind-wings are dull white; there is a series of
brownish terminal dots, and the veins are marked in brown; _the cilia are
shining white_. The head and thorax are pinkish-brown; the latter has two
transverse black lines near the head, and two longitudinal black streaks
on each side. The abdomen is dull white tipped with pale brown.
One specimen of this insect is considerably tinged with very pale
olive-green instead of pink, but it is otherwise identical. As the
available material is so extremely limited, I am unable to say which is the
typical form.
The perfect insect appears in December. I am indebted to Messrs. J. H.
Lewis and W. R. Morris for my specimens.
AGROTIS SERICEA, Butl.
(_Chersotis sericea_, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 490. _C. inconspicua_, ib.
545. _Agrotis sericea_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 33. _A.
inconspicua_, ib. 34. _Agrotis sericea_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx.
46.)
(Plate V., fig. 38 [F].)
This species has occurred in the South Island at Christchurch, Rakaia, and
Ashburton.
The expansion of the wings is about 1½ inches. The fore-wings vary from
very pale grey to dark blackish-grey; there is an obscure transverse line
near the base, and another at about one-fourth; _the orbicular is oval
and dark centred, the claviform is elongate, often very obscure, the
reniform is broad dark centred, usually joined to the orbicular by a dark
patch_; all the stigmata are outlined in black; beyond the reniform there
is a rather jagged transverse line, and _several faint wedge-shaped
markings_; there is a series of minute elongate black marks on the
termen; the cilia are grey with three dark lines. The hind-wings are grey
with several fine black marks on the termen; the cilia are white.
This species seems to be rather variable both in ground colour and in
markings.
The perfect insect appears in October, November, December and January. It
is not a common species.
{32}AGROTIS CEROPACHOIDES, Gn.
(_Agrotis ceropachoides_, Gn., Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 39; Meyr., Trans. N. Z.
Inst. xix. 34.)
(Plate VI., fig. 1.)
This species has occurred at Rakaia.
The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. _The fore-wings are bluish-grey,
dotted and streaked with darker grey; there are no distinct markings_,
except an obscure transverse shading near the termen, and a series of
dull terminal spots; _the costa is slightly concave_. The hind-wings are
grey, paler towards the base, with a dark line on the termen; the cilia
of all the wings are grey.
The perfect insect appears in July, August and September.
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.
Genus 11.--HELIOTHIS, Ochs.
"Head rough-scaled; eyes naked. Antennæ in [M] ciliated. Thorax without
crest. Abdomen not crested. Tibiæ spinose, anterior tibiæ with horny
apical hook.
"A rather small genus, but very generally distributed, though commoner in
subtropical regions; it is a development of _Caradrina_; some of the
species have a very wide natural range. The larvæ feed especially on the
blossoms of their food-plants."--(Meyrick.)
This genus is represented in New Zealand by the world-wide _Heliothis
armigera_.
HELIOTHIS ARMIGERA, Hb.
(_Heliothis armigera_, Hb. _H. conferta_, Walk., Noct. 690. _H. armigera_,
Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 34.)
(Plate V., fig. 40 [M], 41 [F].)
This species has occurred plentifully at Waimarama (Hawkes Bay) and
Wellington, in the North Island; and at Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch,
Rakaia, and Ashburton in the South Island. In Wellington it is certainly
not so common as formerly, and Mr. Meyrick observes that its abundance is
declining in some other localities also.
The expansion of the wings is from 1½ to 1¾ inches. The fore-wings are
pale yellowish-brown, sometimes tinged with red. There is an irregular
band of dull grey or brown near the termen; _the reniform is small and
black; the orbicular minute, also black; the claviform is obsolete_;
there are several very indistinct traces of transverse lines towards the
base of the wing. The hind-wings are dull yellow, _with a very broad,
blackish, terminal band_. The head and thorax are yellowish-brown, and
the abdomen is dull yellow.
This insect varies a good deal in the ground colouring of the fore-wings,
which ranges from dull yellow to brick-red, or even to dark
yellowish-brown. The hind-wings are also much darker in some specimens than
in others.
The larva feeds on the seeds and flowers of various plants. It is extremely
variable in its colouring.
Some specimens are dull green, with a few obscure red spots on the sides
of the anterior segments. Others are brownish-black, with many fine
yellow stripes and dots, and the red spots confined to the three anterior
segments. Others, again, have numerous olive-green, white, and pale green
lines, with a reddish blotch on the side of nearly every segment.
This caterpillar is often rather destructive in gardens. Amongst other
things, it devours tomatoes and peas, the flowers and young fruit of
pumpkins and vegetable marrows, the flowers and leaves of geraniums,
veronicas, &c. It is full grown in the autumn.
The pupa is concealed in the earth, the insect remaining in this condition
until the following summer.
{33}The moth appears in January and February. It often flies by day, and
may then be seen disporting itself amongst the flowers of the Scotch
thistle. Its larva may also be found feeding on these flowers.
This insect is practically cosmopolitan; it has occurred in the following
countries: Australia, Samoa, India, Ceylon, Madagascar, Africa, Europe,
North and South America.[20]
Genus 12.--COSMODES, Gn.
"Eyes naked. Antennæ in male filiform, shortly ciliated. Thorax with
strong transverse anterior and posterior crests. Abdomen strongly crested
towards base. Hind-wings with veins 6 and 7 short-stalked."--(Meyrick.)
We have only one species in New Zealand.
COSMODES ELEGANS, Don.
(_Phalæna elegans_, Don. Ins. N. H. _Cosmodes elegans_, Gn., Noct. vi. 290;
Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 35.)
(Plate VI., fig. 2.)
This beautiful species has occurred at Napier and Ohau in the North Island.
In the South Island it has been taken at Christchurch and Governor's Bay.
The expansion of the wings is 1-1/8 inches. The fore-wings are rich
orange-brown, with _four large green spots margined with silver_; there
is a curved silvery mark near the apex. The hind-wings are pale yellow,
shaded with orange-brown towards the termen; the cilia are pale
orange-brown mixed with white.
The perfect insect appears in March and April.