AGROTIS YPSILON, Rott.
(Noctua ypsilon, Rott. Agrotis suffusa, Hb. Agrotis ypsilon, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xix. 32.)
(Plate [V]., fig. 35 ♂, 36 ♀.)
This handsome insect is probably very common throughout the country. It has occurred abundantly at Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Ashburton and Invercargill.
The expansion of the wings is 2 inches. The fore-wings are pale brown, shaded with rich brown on the costa and termen; the reniform is large and black, with a conspicuous longitudinal streak pointing towards the termen; the orbicular is round, centred with black; the claviform is elongate; there is a dark shaded line below the reniform, followed by a double wavy transverse black line. The hind-wings are grey with pinkish reflections; they are shaded with darker grey towards the termen; the cilia are white, the head and thorax are dark brown, the abdomen grey. In the female the brown costal shading extends across the central portions of the fore-wings to the dorsum, and the general colouring is also darker.
There are no noteworthy variations in either sex. The larva feeds on the roots of grasses. Its head is pale brown mottled with darker brown, and its body is lead-colour with darker dorsal and lateral lines. It remains underground during the daytime, coming abroad at night to feed.
The pupa is red-brown with a very sharp, spine-like extremity. It is concealed in the earth.[[18]]
The perfect insect appears in January, February and March. It is often very abundant at various blossoms in the evening, and comes readily to sugar. It is an insect of almost universal distribution, occurring in Australia, China, India, Africa, Europe, and North and South America.[[19]]
AGROTIS ADMIRATIONIS, Gn.
(Agrotis admirationis, Gn. (nec Meyrick), Ent. Mo. Mag. v. 38.)