CADDIS-FLIES. 75 



taken P. obsoleta on the Tableland of Mount Arthur, at 

 an elevation of no less than 3,600 feet above the sea-level. 

 It is, I think, generally distributed throughout New 

 Zealand, and probably occurs wherever there are dense 

 forests and swift-running streams. 



PSEUDONEMA AMABILIS. 



Tetracentron amabile, McLachlan, Journ. Linn. Soc.,. 

 vol. 10, p. 20, pi. 2, fig. 5 (1870). Pseudonema amabilis,. 

 Hutton, Trans. N. Z. Inst, xxxi., 241. 



(Plate X., fig. 8, 9 larva in its case magnified.) 



This delicate little insect is probably common, and 

 generally distributed throughout New Zealand. It has 

 occurred at Wellington, Christchurch, Lake Pukaki, 

 Ophir, and Invercargill. 



The expansion of the wings is about 1J inches. The fore-wings are very 

 elongate and narrow, with the termen oblique ; their colour is pale greyish- 

 brown, dotted with darker brown ; there is a rather conspicuous, oblique, 

 white spot before the apex, and a very much smaller spot on the termen. 

 The hind-wings are much broader, and uniform pale greyish-brown. The 

 body is brown with grey hairs. The superior appendages of the male are 

 triangular, fimbriated ; the inferior appendages thick, directed upwards. 



The larva of this insect inhabits clear, running streams. 

 It constructs a strong cylindrical, slightly tapering case 

 made entirely of small stones, thus differing in a remark- 

 able manner from the case of the preceding insect, which 

 is exclusively composed of vegetable detritus. The length 

 of this case, when the larva is mature, is about an inch. 

 In structure the larva itself appears to closely resemble 

 that of P. obsoleta, but is of course much smaller. It is 

 very active in its habits, and may often be seen travelling 

 with great rapidity across sandy patches in the river-bed. 

 It frequents the edges of rivers and streams, where the 

 current is less rapid. Here there is usually a fair deposit 

 of sandy or fine shingly material, which it certainly 

 prefers to a river-bed entirely composed of rocks or large 

 boulders. In these situations the larvae are often very 

 common, especially during the first fortnight in November, 

 when they are full grown and the cases fairly conspicuous, 

 owing to their comparatively large size. 



When mature this insect closes both the orifices of 

 its case by fastening a small stone to each end. Hence 

 the case rests loosely on the river-bed, and is not attached 

 to a firm object. The enclosed pupa closely resembles 



