CHRYSOPHANUS ENYSII, Butl.
(Chrysophanus enysii, Butler, Ent. Mo. Mag. xiii. 153 (1876).)
(Plate [XII]., fig. 22 ♂, 23 ♀, 24 under side.)
This species is tolerably common in the Wellington district, and I expect it will be found to occur in most localities in the North Island. I have also taken the insect at Nelson, but have not heard of its capture elsewhere in the South Island.
The expansion of the wings varies from 1 to 1¼ inches. On the upper surface both sexes resemble some of the females of Chrysophanus salustius, except that the dark markings are very much broader, and the coppery colour is paler and less lustrous. On the under side the fore-wings are pale yellowish-brown, bordered with darker brown, with three black spots near the middle, and a chain of black spots beyond the middle. The hind-wings are yellow, with a very large irregular patch of purplish brown extending over the costal and terminal portions.
This insect varies chiefly in the extent of the dark markings on the upper side, which sometimes very much encroach on the golden ground colour. The spaces between veins 2, 3, and 4, near their origin are sometimes yellow and sometimes black, but, as every intermediate form exists, cannot be distinguished as species. Mr. Fereday regards the form with the black spaces as C. feredayi, Bates. As previously stated, however, I am inclined to think that C. feredayi, Bates, is the same form as C. rauparaha, Fereday.
This butterfly is essentially a forest-loving species, and may sometimes be taken quite plentifully in sunny openings on fine days, during December and January. It is not nearly so common as C. salustius, and I do not think that there is more than a single brood in a season.
CHRYSOPHANUS BOLDENARUM, White.
(Lycæna boldenarum, White, Proc. Ent. Soc., Ser. 3, 1, p. 26 (1862). Chrysophanus boldenarum, Butl., Zool. Erebus and Terror, Ins. Lep., p. 29, n. 8, pl. 8, figs. 8, 9 (1874).)
(Plate [XII]., figs. 13, 14, ♂ varieties, 15 under side of ♂, 16 ♀, 17 under side of ♀.)