  The following species are recorded by various observers as having occurred in New Zealand. In nearly every case they are only represented by single specimens. They cannot, in my opinion, be regarded as properly belonging to the fauna:— 1. HAMADRYAS ZOILUS,[59] Fabr. The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. On the upper side all the wings are black, becoming brown towards the base; the fore-wings have three dull white spots near the apex; the hind-wings have the whole of the central portions white. Stated by Dieffenbach to occur in New Zealand, probably in error, as it has not since been observed. An Australian species. Mr. W. W. Smith, however, informs me, that his eldest son recently saw near Ashburton a specimen of what he believed to be this butterfly; but as he was unable to capture it he cannot speak with any degree of certainty. 2. EUPLOÆ —— sp? The expansion of the wings is 2¾ inches. On the upper side all the wings are dull, brownish-black, with a series of large white terminal spots. Two or three specimens of this insect are stated by Mr. T. W. Kirk to have been taken near Flat Point on the east coast of the North Island, but no further details are forthcoming. The late Mr. Olliff, to whom I forwarded a sketch of the insect, informed me that it was not represented in the Sydney collections of Australian and South Sea Island butterflies, but he thought it might be a Malayan species of EuploÆ. 3. VANESSA ATALANTA,[60] L. The expansion of the wings is from 2½ to 2¾ inches. "The fore-wings are black, with a broad deep red central band, and with one large and five small white spots near the apex. The hind-wings are black, with a broad deep red band at the termen, in which are four black spots; at the tornus is a large blue-and-black spot."[61] Mr. T. W. Kirk states[62] that he captured a specimen of this familiar English butterfly in the Wellington Botanical Gardens, in the summer of 1881. On a subsequent occasion he saw several others. No specimens have since been detected. 4. VANESSA URTICÆ, L. The expansion of the wings is from 2 to 2¼ inches. "The fore-wings are reddish-orange with three large black spots on the costa (the third followed by a white spot), two smaller black spots near the centre, and one large one on the dorsum; a dark border, containing cresentic blue spots, runs along the termen. The hind-wings are black at the base, then reddish-orange, with a blue-spotted dark border along the termen."[63] Mr. Kirk states[64] that he also obtained specimens of this very common English butterfly during the same season and in the same locality as Vanessa atalanta. None have been seen by other observers. 5. CATOPSILIA CATILLA,[65] Cramer. The expansion of the wings is nearly 3 inches. On the upper side all the wings of the male are pale sulphur-yellow, with a minute brown mark at the apex. The female is paler, with a brown spot in the centre of the fore-wings, and a chain of brown spots on the termen towards the apex. A single male specimen of this butterfly was captured in the grounds of St. John's College, Auckland, and is now in the Auckland Museum. The species is very common in Australia, and as this is the only specimen observed it was no doubt accidentally introduced from that country on board a steamer. V.—THE PYRALIDINA.Not dealt with in this volume. VI.—THE PSYCHINA.The Psychina are distinguished by the following characters:— "Eyes glabrous. Maxillary palpi rudimentary or obsolete (yet sometimes well marked in pupa). Posterior tibiÆ, with spurs very short, middle spurs often absent. Fore-wings with vein 1b furcate, 1c usually developed, 5 more or less approximated to 4. Hind-wings with frenulum, retinaculum often very broad, 1c present, 8 connected or anastomosing with cell." (See Plate I., figs. 30, 31 neuration of Œceticus omnivorus.) "This ancient group, which furnishes the origin of the five preceding, is not now very prominent, though much more numerous in warm regions. "Imago with fore-wings more or less elongate-triangular, hind-wings ovate, often rather small. "Larva with 10 prolegs, usually with few hairs. "Pupa with segments 8-11 free, usually 7 also (except in PsychidÆ), in male 12 also; protruded from cocoon in emergence."—(Meyrick.) The Psychina and Micropterygina are included amongst the Micros by most modern authors. I have, however, described and figured certain conspicuous and interesting species belonging to both these groups. The insects in question have, until so very recently, been regarded as Macros, that I think it would be a mistake to omit them in the present volume. There can, however, be no question that the modern view is the correct one, and that notwithstanding the large size of some of the species, they are really closely allied to those Micro-Lepidoptera, with which they are now associated. Of the Psychina we have one family represented in New Zealand—the PsychidÆ. |
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