The type specimen was captured at sugar in November.
This species has occurred at Wellington in the North Island, and at Lake Wakatipu in the South Island.
The expansion of the wings of the male is 1-1/8 inches, of the female 1-3/8 inches. _The fore-wings are dull slaty-grey, with a slightly paler central band_; there is a fine oblique wavy transverse line at about one-fourth, another at about one-half, and indications of a third at about three-fourths; _numerous minute black streaks are thickly scattered over the wing, especially near the base and the termen_; the outline of the termen is very slightly scalloped. The hind-wings are pale grey, darker near the termen. The body is very dark slaty-grey. _The antennæ of the male are not bi-pectinated._
The perfect insect appears in January, and is attracted by light. It is a scarce species.
(_Declana niveata_, Butl., Cist. Ent. ii. 500. _Atossa niveata_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 104.)
This species has occurred at Dunedin, in the South Island.
"The expansion of the wings of the male is 30 mm. (about 1¼ inches). Fore-wings elongate-triangular, costa somewhat sinuate, termen rounded, dentate; dull white, faintly irrorated with grey; costa marked with short indistinct dark grey direct strigulæ; an irregular line towards base, and another twice angulated about two-thirds, obscurely indicated by dark grey scales; some scattered { 99}dark grey strigulæ before termen. Hind-wings moderate, termen crenate, angularly projecting in middle; wholly white.
"I took one fine specimen at rest on a tree-trunk near Dunedin, in February."--(Meyrick.)
"Head with dense appressed hairs. Ocelli absent. Eyes glabrous. Antennæ thickened towards middle or posteriorly, in male ciliated with partial whorls. Labial palpi moderate, ascending, with dense projecting scales. Thorax densely hairy beneath. Femora densely hairy. Fore-wings with vein 1_b_ furcate, 6 out of 8, 9 absent (rarely present in exceptional individuals). Hind-wings with veins 3 and 4 approximated at base, 5 from middle of transverse vein, parallel to 4, 6 and 7 connate or stalked, 8 connected by oblique bar with margin of cell before middle, more or less approximated to 7 near beyond cell." (Plate I., figs. 12 and 13, neuration of _Deilephila_ [after Meyrick].)