This handsome insect is common in the neighbourhood of Wellington. It has also occurred at Nelson and Dunedin, and is possibly generally distributed throughout the country.
The expansion of the wings is 1½ inches. The fore-wings of the male are rich reddish-brown, mottled with darker; there are several small white marks on the costa; a black dot in the middle of the wing, and an almost straight white transverse line beyond the middle; outside this line the wing is speckled with greyish-white. The hind-wings are pale pinkish-brown; there is a black dot in the middle, and a curved blackish transverse line a little beyond the middle, being a continuation of the transverse line of the fore-wing; beyond this line, and on the dorsum, there are generally several small blackish markings. The female has the fore-wings orange-red, speckled with darker; there is a doubly curved transverse line near the base, and an almost straight transverse line near the termen, both dark red; beyond the outer transverse line the wing is shaded with dark brown. The hind-wings are pale reddish-orange, with a curved blackish transverse line. In both sexes the apex of the fore-wing is projecting, and there is a strong angular projection on the termen a little before the middle; the termen of the hind-wing has several small projections.
The variation of this insect is considerable, especially in the male. The ground colour of the fore-wings often inclines to dull brown, or even dull yellowish-brown; the light and dark mottling, and the greyish markings near the termen are sometimes hardly visible; there is often a yellowish blotch opposite the large angle in the termen of the fore-wing. The hind-wings also are very variable in their colouring. All these varieties exist in the female in a less pronounced degree.
The perfect insect appears during the first week in February, and is generally over by the middle or end of March. The males are first noticed, the females not appearing until about a fortnight later. I have never taken this insect in the daytime, and in fact have never seen it except on the blossoms of the white rata, where, on fine evenings, it is often very abundant. As yet, however, Wellington is the only locality where I have met with it.
Genus 6.—DREPANODES, Gn.
"Face with cone of scales. Palpi moderate, triangularly scaled, porrected. Antennæ in male moderate, simple. Fore-wings with vein 6 from below 9, 7 from below angle of areole, 10 very shortly touching 9, 11 rising out of 10 before angle of areole, 12 free. Hind-wings normal. (Plate [II]., figs. 61 and 62 neuration of Drepanodes muriferata.)
A characteristic South American genus. The single New Zealand species is very similar to some South American forms."—(Meyrick.)
DREPANODES MURIFERATA, Walk.
(Gargaphia muriferata, Walk. 1635. Panagra ephyraria, Walk. 1761. ? Zanclognatha (?) cookaria, Feld. cxxiii. 26. Zanclognatha (?) haastiaria, Feld. cxxiii. 32. Drepanodes muriferata, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 107.)
(Plate [X]., figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 ♂ varieties, 12 ♀.)