(_Larentia prasinias_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 81.)
This bright-looking species has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur, Castle Hill, and Invercargill.
The expansion of the wings is 1-3/8 inches. _The fore-wings are bright orange-yellow; there is a small brown area near the base, with the outer edge indented; then a pale band followed by a very broad brown central band, composed of wavy transverse lines, with irregular yellow spaces between them_, the largest of these spaces containing a small black dot; the outer edge of the central band is very wavy, and has several rather prominent projections near the middle; beyond this are several rather faint brownish lines; the cilia are yellow, barred with dark brown. The hind-wings are pale ochreous, shaded with grey near the base, and with yellow near the termen; the cilia are yellow, barred with brown.
The perfect insect appears in January, and frequents forest. It is found at elevations of from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, but is not by any means a common species.
(_Larentia chionogramma_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xvi. 82.)
This rather dull-looking species has occurred in the South Island at Mount Arthur and Mount Hutt.
The expansion of the wings is about 1-1/8 inches. _The fore-wings are rather dark greyish-brown; there are numerous indistinct wavy paler and darker transverse lines near the base; a rather broad transverse brown band towards the middle, shaded towards the base, and edged with an interrupted jagged white line towards the termen_; beyond this there are several broken darker and paler lines. The hind-wings are very pale greyish-ochreous, clouded with grey near the base, and with several rows of small cloudy grey spots near the termen. The female is paler than the male and the markings are less distinct.
The perfect insect appears in December and January, and frequents wooded valleys on the lower slopes of the mountains, at elevations of from 2,000 to 3,000 feet.
(_Larentia camelias_, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xx. 58.)
This species was discovered by Mr. Meyrick in the North Island at Whangarei.
"The expansion of the wings of the male is 23 mm. (rather less than 1 inch). Head, antennæ, and thorax whitish-ochreous, greyish-tinged, with a few dark fuscous scales. Palpi fuscous. Abdomen whitish-ochreous, with a double dorsal series of dark fuscous dots. Legs whitish-ochreous, irrorated with purple-reddish and dark fuscous. Fore-wings with costa rather sinuate in middle, on anterior half gently, on posterior half very strongly arched, termen moderately sinuate below apex, bowed in middle; light greyish-ochreous, with numerous cloudy, waved, brown-grey transverse lines, somewhat bent near costa; a black discal dot; margin of basal patch and anterior edge of median band indicated by series of very minute white dots, preceded and followed by black points; posterior edge of median band marked by a darker line, followed by a fine white line reduced on lower half to a series of points, subterminal line represented by four cloudy blackish dots on upper half and another above tornus; cilia greyish-ochreous (imperfect). Hind-wings fuscous-whitish; a median band of four cloudy greyish lines, bent near costa; a cloudy grey spot above tornus; cilia fuscous-whitish (imperfect.)