316 DESCRIPTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA, XVIII., 



94. P. 02:)erculella, Zell. 



{Gelechia operculella, ZelL, Zool. Bot. Yer. 1873, 262; Gelechia 

 terrella (nom. praeocc), Walk., Tin. 1024 ; Gelechia solanella, 

 Boisd., Meyr., Trans. X. Zeal. Inst. 1885, 166.) 



(J9. 14-16 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax pale brownish-och- 

 reous, irrorated with grey-whitish; paljDi with two dark fuscous 

 bands on second joint, and one above middle on terminal joint. 

 Antennse, abdomen, and legs pale greyish-ochreous, legs irrorated 

 with dark fuscous. Fore wings acute; pale brownish-ochreous, 

 densely irrorated with whitish-grey, and more or less with dark 

 grey or blackish-grey; the dark irroration forms two small spots 

 on costa towards base, and a suffused dorsal streak, connected 

 with three or four small irregular spots about fold : cilia pale 

 greyish-ochreous, towards base strewn with blackish-grey points, 

 forming one or two distinct blackish lines round apex. Hind- 

 wings pale grey; cilia pale greyish-ochreous. 



Rosewood, Queensland; Sydney, Blackheath (3500 feet), Orange 

 (3000 feet), Shoalhaven, Cooma, and Broken Hill, ISTew South 

 Wales; Melbourne, Victoria; Adelaide, South Australia; from 

 November to May, now generally distributed and common, some- 

 times abundant in particular localities; native in North America, 

 but occurring also in New Zealand and North Africa. The larva 

 feeds in the tubers of the potato [Solanum nigrum), causing them 

 to decay and become worthless; in badly infested fields the whole 

 crop is sometimes destroyed. 



21. Gnorimoschema, Busck. 

 Antennae |, in $ simple or shortly ciliated, basal joint moderate, 

 without pecten. Labial palpi very long, recurved, second joint 

 thickened with rough expanded and furrowed scales beneath, 

 terminal joint almost or quite as long as or longer than second, 

 usually roughened anteriorly, acute. Eorewings : 2 and 3 

 parallel, 7 and 8 stalked, 7 to costa. Hind wings 1 or over 1, 

 trapezoidal, apex more or less pointed, termen sinuate, cilia |-1^; 

 3 and 4 connate, 5 somewhat apj^roximated to 4, 6 and 7 nearly 

 parallel. 



