MELANCHRA PICTULA, White.
(Dianthoecia pictula, White, Tayl. New Zeal., pl. i. 3. Meterana pictula, Butl., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1877, 386, pl. xlii. 1. Mamestra pictula, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 18.)
(Plate [IV]., fig. 37 ♂.)
Three specimens of this handsome species have occurred at Lake Coleridge in the South Island.
The expansion of the wings is 1⅝ inches. The fore-wings are grey, very faintly tinged with pink, the markings are yellowish-green margined with black, the reniform is large, oval, clear white, with a minute white dot above and below it, there is a series of conspicuous black-edged yellow spots near the termen; the cilia are grey with a series of minute black and white dots at their base. The hind-wings are pale crimson shaded with dark grey near the termen, there is an obscure grey spot near the middle; the cilia are grey. The sides of the abdomen are bright crimson.
The moth appears in March.
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Fereday's collection.
MELANCHRA RHODOPLEURA, Meyr.
(Mamestra rhodopleura, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 19.)
(Plate [IV]., fig. 38.)