MELANCHRA CŒLENO, n. sp.
(Plate [IV]., fig. 39.)
This interesting species has been taken at Wellington by Messrs. Hawthorne and Norris.
The expansion of the wings is 1⅜ inches. The fore-wings are very pale brownish-cream-colour; there is a large irregular dark brown patch on the dorsum from about one-eighth to about two-thirds, another smaller patch at the tornus, and another still smaller on the termen a little above the middle; there are two very obscure transverse lines; the orbicular is finely outlined in brown; the reniform contains two very dark brown dots, and is rather strongly outlined in brown towards the base. The hind-wings are dark grey. The cilia of all the wings are grey with a paler line.
The perfect insect appears in November.
MELANCHRA USTISTRIGA, Walk.
(Xylina ustistriga, Walk., Noct. 630. X. lignisecta, ib., 631. Mamestra ustistriga, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 26.)
(Plate [V]., fig. 20 ♂, 20A ♀.)
This beautiful insect has occurred commonly at Wellington in the North Island, and in the South Island, at Blenheim, Christchurch, and Lake Coleridge.
The expansion of the wings is about 1¾ inches. The fore-wings, head, and thorax are pinkish-grey in the male, pale grey in female; the orbicular spot is rather large, nearly round, finely outlined in black; the reniform is very large, margined with black towards the base of the wing, and usually touching the orbicular spot or connected with it by a short black line; the claviform is triangular, also black margined; there is a cloudy oblique line below the reniform, and an irregular line between the reniform and the termen. The hind-wings and abdomen are pale pinkish-grey in male, dull grey in female; the cilia are white with a cloudy line.