The species is rather variable. In many specimens the dorsal half of the fore-wing is much paler than the costal half.
The perfect insect appears from November till March, and frequents dense forest. It is not a common species.
XANTHORHOE SUBDUCTATA, Walk.
(Larentia subductata, Walk. 1198. Epyaxa subductata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 55.)
This species has occurred at Auckland.
"The expansion of the wings of the female is 26 mm. (about 1 inch). Head, palpi, and thorax pale greyish-ochreous, somewhat mixed with yellow-greenish, and densely irrorated with fuscous. Antennæ whitish-ochreous annulated with fuscous. Abdomen grey-whitish, densely irrorated with fuscous. Legs dark fuscous, apex of joints ochreous-whitish, middle and posterior pair irrorated with grey-whitish. Fore-wings with costa gently arched, termen waved, slightly rounded, oblique; pale greyish-ochreous, mixed with yellow-greenish, and thinly sprinkled with fuscous, tending to form faint waved lines; three light fuscous fasciæ, each marked with three dark fuscous lines; first near base, outer edge sharply angulated above middle; second from two-fifths of costa to before middle of dorsum, slightly curved; third from two-thirds of costa to two-thirds of dorsum, outer edge somewhat prominent in middle, rather sinuate above it; a crescentic black obscurely whitish-margined discal spot; a short oblique cloudy fuscous streak from apex; cilia light fuscous, somewhat sprinkled with whitish. Hind-wings light grey; a grey discal dot before middle; a median band of three darker lines, outer rather prominent in middle; faint indications of other darker lines, most distinct posteriorly; cilia grey-whitish, with two cloudy grey lines."—(Meyrick.)
The perfect insect appears in December.
XANTHORHOE ROSEARIA, Dbld.
(Cidaria rosearia, Dbld., Dieff. N. Z. ii. 285, Butl., Cat. pl. iii. 13. Coremia ardularia, Gn., E. M. M. v. 63. Coremia inamænaria, Gn., E. M. M. v. 63. Epyaxa rosearia, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 71.)
(Plate [VII]., fig. 22 ♂, 23 ♀.)