(Plate [VIII]., fig. 27.)
This little species has been taken in the South Island on the Craigieburn Range, near Castle Hill.
The expansion of the wings is about ¾ inch. All the wings are very dark blackish-brown; the fore-wings have five slender wavy white transverse lines. The hind-wings have three white transverse lines, the first near the base, the second near the middle, and the third, which is very slender and considerably broken, near the termen. The cilia of all the wings are white, barred with blackish-brown.
The perfect insect was captured in January, amongst a varied growth of stunted Alpine vegetation, at an elevation of about 5,600 feet.
NOTOREAS MECHANITIS, Meyr.
(Pasithea mechanitis, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 86. Notoreas mechanitis, ib. xviii. 184.)
(Plate [VIII]., figs. 9, 10, 11, varieties.)
This insect has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur, Arthur's Pass and Mount Hutt.
The expansion of the wings is about ⅞ inch. All the wings are dark brownish-black. The fore-wings have an almost straight transverse yellow or white stripe near the base, edged with black towards the body; a rather wavy stripe at about one-third, edged with black towards the termen; then several irregular yellowish or white spots or marks, followed by a very distinct white stripe, somewhat projecting towards the termen near the middle; there is a broken fine yellow line near the termen. The hind-wings have a shaded white or yellow transverse line near the base, another near the middle, a third, considerably finer and often broken, near the termen. The cilia of all the wings are white shaded with grey near the base, but with no distinct bars.
The perfect insect appears from January till March, and flies with great activity in the hottest sunshine. It frequents grassy mountain sides at elevations ranging from 3,000 to 4,500 feet above the sea-level, and in these situations it is often very abundant.