Meyrick. — 0)1 Ni'ir Zcakvul Lepidopter;i. '205 



Mr. Fereday, but under circumstances which left no doubt 

 that it had recently emerged from imported timber ; it is 

 not, therefore, entitled to a place in the list. The correspond- 

 ing Australian list numbers probably about eight hundred 

 species, against which New Zealand is at present unable to 

 furnish twenty, nor is it probable that more than some half- 

 dozen others remain to be discovered. 



BOMBYCINA. 

 Hepialida:. 



Ocelli absent. Tongue generally obsolete. Antennte less 

 than half forewings. No maxillary palpi. TibicC without 

 spurs. Forewings with all main veins and costa connected 

 by crossbars near base ; 1 furcate towards base (the furca- 

 tion appearing as a parallel vein connected b>' terminal 

 liar). 9 and 10 stalked, 11 from near base, forked parting- 

 vein well defined. Hindwings without frenulum ; Ic jiresent ; 

 neurafcion essentially identical with that of forewings. 



A curious family of very ancienc development ; it is of very 

 general distribution, not very largely developed anywhere, but 

 pci'haps most in Australia. The New Zealand genera are 

 characteristically Australian. This is the only family of 

 the group which is represented by a fair number of species, 

 all or nearly all being endemic ; and it is therefore probable 

 that their ancestors were the first to gain a footing in the 

 country, and that they were specially favoured in meeting^ 

 with suitable food. The larva^ of the family feed usually on 

 the roots of grass, less commonly in the wood or on the roots 

 of trees ; and, whilst it seems to me that the forests in New 

 Zealand are of comparativeh' recent date, there can be no 

 question that grass-feeding insects have always found abundant 

 room. To this fact, rather than to the undoubtedly veal 

 antiquity of the family, I attribute its greater develo[)ment. 



The two genera may be distinguished by the structure of 

 vein 8. Besides the species given, Piclus uujcns, Walk., a very 

 large unicolorous brownish-ochreous or reddish insect, has 

 been stated to occur ; but I believe the record to be erroneous : 

 it is certainly /Vustralian, and I have never met with a reallv 

 authentic New Zealand specimen. At the same time, T nuist 

 admit having been unable to learn to wliat species the so- 

 called "vegetable caterpillar" (infested with the Splueria 

 fungus) is referable, except that it is a large brown species of 

 this family. It was formerly attributed to HcpialuH oiivscriis, 

 but this W'as certainly erroneous, as the larva of that species 

 lives in the stems of trees, and never goes beneath ground e\en 

 to pupate, whilst the larva in question is subterranean. It 

 ought to be easy for local collectors possessed of a little per- 

 severance to clear up this difUculty. 



