This little species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Christchurch and Mount Hutt in the South Island.
The expansion of the wings is barely 1 inch. The fore-wings are pale greyish-ochreous; there is an interrupted reddish-brown transverse band near the base; two faint, interrupted, shaded blackish lines, one at about one-third and the other at about two-thirds, enclosing between them a large central area, which contains a very distinct black dot above the middle, and several irregular shaded black marks; beyond this there is a wavy reddish-brown band; the apex of the wing is somewhat projecting, and the termen is considerably bowed. The hind-wings are pale grey, with a paler central band, and numerous faint, wavy, darker grey lines. The cilia of all the icings are white, banded with dark grey.
The perfect insect appears from November till January. Mr. Fereday states that it is a plain-frequenting species, especially attached to gorse hedges.[[37]]
Described and figured from a specimen kindly given to me by Mr. Fereday.
XANTHORHOE CHORICA, Meyr.
(Larentia chorica, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 58.)
(Plate [VII]., fig. 44.)
A single specimen of this beautiful insect was taken at Akaroa by Mr. Fereday.
The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. All the wings are pale ochreous. The fore-wings have a short transverse black mark from the costa near the base; a fine wavy white transverse line, followed by a wavy black band; the middle of the wing is white, marbled with very pale blue; beyond this there is a broad black band wavy towards the termen, with a very prominent rounded projection near the middle; there are two reddish-brown marks on the costa before the apex, a blackish patch on the termen below the apex, and a row of terminal black dots; the apex is slightly projecting, and the termen is strongly arched. The hind-wings have several fine blackish transverse lines near the base; a broad shaded band in the middle, and a terminal series of black dots.
The perfect insect appears in January.