442 



Transactions. 



In ^11 perfect specimens the liead is white. 



This pretty little moth may be found basking in the sun on the leaves 

 of its food-plant, or flying about the shrub. Few were seen to fly far from 

 the bush even when beaten out. It is not very shy, and can be knocked 

 straight into the kiUing-bottle without using the net. Its attitude of rest 

 is peculiar, the body being held at an acute angle to the surface of the leaf, 

 with the head lowermost, almost touching the leaf ; the hind legs are kept 

 close to the body, and elevate the hinder part in the air, while the first and 

 second legs are held almost at right angles to the body, close together, and 

 slightly forwards. The Panax moths rest with the head end elevated. 

 There are several broods during the summer, larvae being found at any 

 time between the months from July to March. Most possibly the larva 

 hibernates in the cocoon. 



Distribution. . 



Wanganui. During the last few years this moth has become very 

 plentiful wherever its food-plants happen to be growing. In December of 

 1919 the young leaves of the wattles in the Virginia Lake Eeserve were 

 badly infected. I also came across new and old mines in the Botanical 

 Gardens in Wellington in September. 



' Food-plants. 



The Australian broad- and narrow-leaved wattles {Acacia pycnantha, 

 Acacia saligna). Indigenous food-plants still unknown. It would seem 

 as though this moth had been introduced from Australia. 



Egg-laying. 

 The eggs are laid on either side of the young tender leaves in no 

 specially favoured part. They are also to be found on the young stems 

 and seed-pods. The egg is flat, wafer-like, slightly rounded above, with a 

 narrow irregular margin or rim round the circumference. Average dimen- 

 sions 0-65 mm. by 0-45 mm. No marked sculpture except very minute 

 white elevations arranged in a somewhat hexagonal pattern. Shiny ; 

 colour a pale transparent white ; strongly cemented to the leaf ; period of 

 incubation about fourteen days. 



The Mine. 



The mine may be on either side of the leaf ; is a long, narrow, slightly 



expanding gallery, more or less tortuous in direction, and generally up and 



down the long axis of the leaf. Total length from 7 in. to 8 in. Colour of 



early part of mine white, with a thin brown or black central line of f rass ; 



Fig. 1. — Mine of P. citharoda in Acacia saligna. (Natural size.) 



later a somewhat lighter green than the rest of the leaf-surface ; this portion 

 of the mine loosely packed with fine frass granules. The cuticle over old 

 mines rapidly dies and becomes brown. Badly infected leaves wither and 

 fall from the tree. The final inch or so of the mine is often expanded 

 into a somewhat irregular, narrow, elongated blotch. 



