A variety (_Hydriomena fuscinata_, Gn.) often occurs in which the whole of the wings are more or less tinged with purplish-brown (Plate VI., fig. 46).
The perfect insect appears from November till April. It chiefly frequents tussock country and swampy situations. In the Wellington district it is extremely abundant in { 49}the clearings at the foot of the Tararua Range. According to Mr. Meyrick the typical form is common in Tasmania and Victoria.
(_Cidaria triphragma_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 74.)
"_Male._--26-27 mm. (about 1 inch). Fore-wings moderate, termen strongly sinuate; pale dull greyish-purple; a very small darker basal patch, outer edge strongly convex, margined by a dark fuscous fascia, posteriorly whitish-edged; a dark fuscous fascia before one-third, irregularly outwards-curved, posteriorly suffused, anteriorly sharply defined and whitish-edged; a minute blackish discal dot; a dark fuscous fascia beyond middle, forming a strong angle in middle, upper and lower halves both inwards-curved, anteriorly suffused, posteriorly sharply defined and whitish-edged. Hind-wings moderate, termen somewhat irregular, projecting in middle; whitish-ochreous mixed with pale purplish; an angulated darker band before middle.
"A very distinct species, probably not variable.
"Blenheim; two specimens received by Mr. Fereday from Mr. Skellon."--(Meyrick).
I am unacquainted with this species, which Mr. Fereday stated he was unable to identify. I have therefore inserted Mr. Meyrick's description without alteration.
(_Cidaria rixata_, Feld. cxxxii. 1; Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 75. _Coremia squalida_, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 505.)
This pretty insect is very common, and generally distributed throughout the country.
The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The fore-wings have a dull green patch near the base, with numerous dull brown and dull white wavy transverse lines; _there is a very broad blackish-brown central band paler in the middle, but almost black at the edges; this band has a large rounded projection on its outer edge near the middle, and below this projection it is deeply indented_; the remainder of the wing is dull yellowish-green, with several brown and white transverse lines; one of the white lines is more conspicuous than the rest and very wavy; there is a shaded oblique black mark from the apex. The hind-wings are very pale yellowish-brown; there are a few obscure brownish transverse lines near the dorsum, and a faint series of crescentic marks near the termen.