This rather inconspicuous species has occurred at Palmerston and Kaitoke in the North Island; and at Christchurch, Dunedin, and Lake Wakatipu in the South Island. It has also been taken at Stewart Island.
The expansion of the wings is about 1⅛ inches. The fore-wings are dull ochreous-brown; there are several indistinct wavy blackish lines near the base, a black dot above the middle, then three or four more lines, followed by a cloudy shading on the termen. The hind-wings are pale ochreous-brown. The cilia of all the wings are dull ochreous-brown barred with black.
The perfect insect appears from November till March and is sometimes very common. It usually frequents rather open situations in the neighbourhood of forest, and I have often observed it amongst the bushes of "Wild Irishman" (Discaria toumatou.) It is extremely abundant on the banks of the River Dart, at the head of Lake Wakatipu.
XANTHORHOE LUCIDATA, Walk.
(Larentia lucidata, Walk. 1200. Coremia plurimata, ib. 1321. Panagra venipunctata, ib. 1666. Larentia psamathodes, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 81. Larentia lucidata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvii. 64.)
(Plate [VII]., fig. 38 ♂.)
This rather dull-coloured species has occurred at Napier, Palmerston, and Wellington in the North Island, and at Dunedin in the South Island.
The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. The fore-wings are dull yellowish-brown; there are numerous fine, almost straight blackish lines parallel to the termen, forming four more or less distinct transverse bands; the first at the base rather broad, the second a little before the middle, the third beyond the middle, and the fourth just before the termen; there is a black dot a little above the middle of the wing, and the veins are marked with white dots between the transverse bands. The hind-wings are pale brownish-ochreous; there are numerous, rather faint, wavy, blackish, transverse lines, which are much more distinct near the dorsum. There is a series of distinct black dots on the termen of both fore- and hind-wings.
The perfect insect appears during the winter months from March till August. It is rather a scarce species, but on mild evenings it is sometimes taken at light.
XANTHORHOE HELIAS, Meyr.