The Caradrinina may be distinguished by the following characters:—
"The maxillary palpi are obsolete, the fore-wings have vein 1b simple or hardly furcate, 1c absent, and 5 approximated to 4 towards base. The hind-wings are furnished with a frenulum, vein 1c is absent, and 8 is connected or anastomosing with cell." (See Plate II., figs. 1 to 12 and 14 to 18.)
"Imago with the fore-wings more or less elongate-triangular, termen not very oblique; hind-wings broad-ovate.
"Larva sometimes very hairy, usually with 10 prolegs, those on segments 7 and 8 sometimes absent. (Plate III., figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 16.) Pupa with segments 9 to 11 free; not protruded from cocoon in emergence."—(Meyrick.)</div>
So far as New Zealand is concerned, the Caradrinina may be said to comprise that group of the Lepidoptera formerly known as the Noctuina, with the addition of the family Arctiadæ. Its members are chiefly nocturnal fliers; the body is usually stout, the forewings are narrow, and (except in the Arctiadæ) mostly dull-coloured, with three very characteristic spots. 1. The orbicular stigma, a round spot situated near the middle of the wing; 2. The claviform stigma usually somewhat club-shaped and situated immediately below the orbicular; and 3. The reniform stigma, a kidney-shaped marking situated beyond the orbicular. The claviform is very frequently absent, and the orbicular less frequently so, but the reniform is an almost constant character throughout the entire group, with the exception of the Arctiadæ.
There are three families of the Caradrinina represented in New Zealand, viz.:—
The Arctiadæ may be characterised as follows:—
"Eyes smooth. Tongue developed. Posterior tibiæ with all spurs present. Hind-wings with veins 6 and 7 connate or stalked (rarely approximated or coincident), 8 anastomosing with cell nearly or quite from base to middle or beyond."—(Meyrick.) (See Plate II., figs. 1, 2, and 4, 5.)</div>
This interesting family, although generally distributed throughout the world, is very poorly represented in New Zealand. Unlike most of the Caradrinina, many of the included species are day fliers and gaily coloured. One of these, Nyctemera annulata, is probably one of the most familiar of New Zealand insects, whilst the four remaining representatives of the family are but seldom seen. To British entomologists the name of "tiger moths" will probably at once recall several conspicuous and beautiful members of this family.
Three genera of the Arctiadæ are represented in New Zealand, viz.:—
"Tongue well developed. Antennæ in ♂ bipectinated throughout. Palpi moderately long, porrected or rather ascending, with appressed scales; terminal joint moderate, cylindrical. Forewings with vein 6 out of 9 or separate, 7 and 8 out of 9, 10 connected with 9 by a bar. Hind-wings with veins 6 and 7 stalked or separate, 8 anastomosing shortly with margin of cell near base." (Plate II., fig. 3 head, 4 neuration of fore-wing, 5 ditto of hind-wing.)
"The single New Zealand species is endemic, but nearly allied to an Australian form."—(Meyrick.)</div>
(Leptosoma annulata, Boisd., Voy. Astr. v. 197, pl. v. 9; Dbld., Dieff, N. Z. ii. 284. Nyctemera doubledayi, Walk., Bomb. 392. Nyctemera annulata, Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc., N.S.W., 1886, 700; ditto, Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 218.)</div>
This species is perhaps one of the best known of the New Zealand Lepidoptera, occurring in great profusion in all parts of both North and South Islands. It is also common at Stewart Island, in the neighbourhood of cultivation.
The expansion of the wings is about 1¾ inches. All the wings are deep sooty black. The forewings have an irregular cream-coloured band running from beyond the middle of the costa towards the tornus. This band is interrupted in the middle, and crossed by several black veins, which sometimes almost break it up into a chain of spots. The hind-wings have a single large cream-coloured spot near the middle. The body is black, with several orange markings on the thorax, and a series of broad orange rings on the abdomen.</div>
This species varies a good deal in the extent of the cream-coloured markings.
The larva feeds on the New Zealand groundsel (Senecio bellidioides), but in cultivated districts it is more often observed on Senecio scandens, a plant having a superficial resemblance to ivy, which frequently grows in great profusion on fences and hedgerows in various parts of the country.