At this time the larva is pale greenish-brown, inclining to yellow on the ventral surface. The lateral lines consist of a series of black markings near the posterior margin of each segment; the subdorsal lines are represented by four oblique black marks on each side of the four posterior segments of the larva. The region between these lines is much clouded with yellowish-green or pink, the larvæ having a tendency to diverge into pink and green varieties. The anal segment is dull yellow. The head is brown, with two black stripes and several black dots.
Whilst rearing these larvæ I noticed that during the daytime they invariably hid themselves under the blotting paper at the bottom of the breeding cage. No doubt, under natural conditions, they retreat beneath the ground, only coming abroad at night to feed. This habit would account for the difficulty experienced in finding larvæ of this genus in a state of nature.
The pupa state is spent in the earth, and occupies about a month.
The moth appears towards the end of January. It evidently hibernates through the winter, as it is often seen very late in the autumn, and is always one of the first moths to come to sugar in the early spring. It is frequently observed at rest on fences and trees in the daytime.
MELANCHRA MAYA, n. sp.
(Plate [IV]., fig. 31.)
A single specimen of this species was taken on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, at an altitude of about 3,500 feet.
The expansion of the wings is 1⅝ inches. The fore-wings are bright yellowish-brown, paler towards the apex; there are two broad, shaded, black stripes at the base, one near the middle edged with yellow above, and one below the middle edged with yellow beneath; the orbicular is oval, oblique, edged with black except towards the costa; the claviform is rather irregular, dark purplish-brown; the reniform is very large, dark purplish-brown edged with black; there is a large elongate patch of very dark brown at the tornus, partly edged first with yellow and then with black; another smaller patch is situated on the termen near the middle, bisected by a fine yellow line. The hind-wings are grey; the cilia of all the wings are yellowish-brown. The head and thorax are purplish-brown, the abdomen dull brownish-grey.
MELANCHRA PLENA, Walk.
(Erana plena, Walk., Suppl. 744. Mamestra sphagnea, Feld., Reis. Nov., pl. cix. 17. Dianthœcia viridis, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 547. Mamestra plena, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 17.)