Represented in New Zealand by three species.
ORTHOSIA MARGARITA, Hawth.
(Orthosia margarita, Hawth., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxix. 283.)
(Plate [V]., fig. 31.)
This species was discovered at Wellington by Mr. E. F. Hawthorne.
The expansion of the wings is about 1⅓ inches. The fore-wings are dark brownish-black and rather glossy; there are several obscure dark marks near the base; the orbicular is oval, oblique, brownish-yellow, slightly darker in the middle; the claviform is almost obsolete; the reniform is rather large, bordered with dull white towards the base and termen; beyond the reniform there is a very distinct wavy transverse line; another line is situated near the termen emitting several black wedge-shaped markings from its inner edge. The hind-wings are shining white and iridescent, with the veins black and the costa and termen narrowly shaded with black.
Described and figured from specimens in Mr. Hawthorne's collection.
ORTHOSIA COMMA, Walk.
(Mamestra comma, Walk., Noct. 239; Butl., Voy. Ereb., pl. ix., 6. Graphiphora implexa, Walk., Noct. 405. Hadena plusiata, ib., Suppl. 742; Nitocris bicomma, Gn., Ent. Mon. Mag. v., 4. Orthosia comma, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 30.)
(Plate [V]., fig. 27 ♂, 28 ♀; Plate [III]., fig. 11, larva.)