70 NEW ZEALAND ENTOMOLOGY. 



from any of the rest. In colour it is pale brownish with 

 numerous black and white markings, varieties occasionally- 

 occurring much suffused with the darker colour. It is 

 rather local, but may be found abundantly in the Mana- 

 watu district. 



Family HEPIALID/E. 



Hepialus virescens (Plate IX., fig. i g, ia ?, ic larva, 



lb pupa). 



This gigantic insect is seen occasionally in the forest 

 during the early summer. The larva (ic) tunnels the stems 

 of living trees, feeding entirely on wood which it bites off 

 with its strong mandibles. The plant most usually selected 

 by the caterpillar is Aristotelia racemosa, called by the 

 settlers " New Zealand currant," from its large clusters of 

 rich-looking black berries, which appear in autumn. Other 

 food-plants are numerous, the black maire {Oka apetald) 

 and manuka {Lcptospermum) being among those more fre- 

 quently chosen. 



This larva, for the most part, inhabits the main stem of 

 the tree, its gallery always having an outlet to the air, 

 which is covered with a curtain of dull brown silk, spun 

 exactly level with the surrounding bark, and consequently 

 very inconspicuous. These burrows usually run down 

 towards the ground, and are mostly two or three inches 

 from the surface of the trunk. In some instances the larvae 

 inhabit branches, in which case, if the branch is of small 

 dimensions, the tunnel is made near the centre. These 

 remarks only refer to galleries constructed by young larvae, 

 as the tunnel made by the insect prior to becoming a pupa 

 is of a very complicated character and merits a somewhat 

 detailed description. It consists of a spacious, irregular, 

 but shallow cavity, just under the bark, having a large 

 opening to the air, which is entirely covered with a thin 

 silken covering, almost exactly the same shape and size as 



