(_Hermione xanthaspis_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 61. _Aulopola xanthaspis_, Meyr., ib. xviii. 184.)
This handsome insect has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur and at Lake Guyon.
The expansion of the wings is a little over 1 inch. _The fore-wings are bright yellow; there is a broad pale reddish-brown band on the costa; a conspicuous oval dark brown spot above the middle_, often touching the costal band; a double series of minute brown dots near the termen. The hind-wings are pale yellow, with a double series of minute brown dots parallel to the termen.
The perfect insect appears in January, February, and March. It is apparently a rare species. Mr. Fereday has six specimens taken at Lake Guyon, and I have two specimens captured on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, at an elevation of about 3,500 feet. These comprise, I believe, all the specimens at present taken.
(_Cidaria undosata_, Feld. cxxviii. 2. _Epiphryne undosata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 60.)
This neatly marked little insect has occurred at Napier and Palmerston in the North Island; and at Nelson, Mount Hutt, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Lake Wakatipu in the South Island.
The expansion of the wings is hardly an inch. _All the wings are pale yellow with a variable number of fine jagged reddish-brown transverse lines, which are usually most distinct towards the termen._ The fore-wings have a broad band of reddish-brown along the costal edge; a blackish dot above the middle just touching the costal band, and a small brown mark near the apex. The hind-wings have a minute black dot a little above the middle.
This species is rather variable: in some specimens the transverse lines are much broader, forming bands of reddish-brown; in others the whole of the wings are dull reddish-brown, except a small yellow area near the base; whilst others are _entirely dull greyish-brown with the transverse lines very faint_, intermediate varieties between all these forms also occurring.
The larva, according to Mr. Purdie,[31] is about ½ inch long, feeding on the Ribbonwood (_Plagianthus betulinus_). The ground colour is green, with the dorsal and lateral stripes white. The dorsal stripe is interlined with short black dashes, and there is a dark blotch about the ninth segment. The dorsal and lateral stripes may be margined with purplish-red. The under side is green. The larvæ were found in April.