76 NEW ZEALAND NEUEOPTERA. 



that of P. obsoleta, but is of course considerably smaller. 

 Its extremely long and delicate antennae are very remark- 

 able. The emergence of the imago occurs in the usual 

 manner, and the pupa skin, with its exquisitely delicate 

 antennal coverings, may be seen floating on the water 

 after the escape of the caddis-fly. 



The perfect insect appears about the middle of 

 November, and is very abundant until the end of 

 December. It flies in swarms at evening dusk, and 

 may at once be recognised by its extremely rapid zigzag 

 flight. When seen projected on the bright sky of sunset, 

 its long fine antennae are clearly visible, being held out 

 straight in front of the insect, whilst it is on the wing. I 

 noticed great numbers of these insects flying in this way 

 around the margins of Lake Pukaki, and I expect that it 

 will be found to frequent many other treeless situations 

 of similar character. The larva of P. amabilis apparently 

 takes the place of that of P. obsoleta in streams, where 

 there is no forest detritus, and I consider that the 

 differences in habit between these two insects, as regards 

 the material and construction of their respective cases, is 

 •of unusual interest. The discovery of such a striking 

 divergence of habit between two species so closely allied 

 greatly surprised me. In fact, I fully expected to find 

 the larva of P. amabilis inhabiting fragmentary grass 

 stems, and on this assumption I made many unsuccessful 

 examinations of submerged grass fragments in the streams. 

 It is well, therefore, to bear in mind that conjectural 

 .analogies occasionally mislead, when applied to the 

 supposed larval habits of little-known species of insects. 



Genus NOTANATOLICA, McLachlan (1866). 



"Antennae very fine, nearly thrice the length of the wing, longer in the 

 male than in the female, maxillary palpi very hairy, the first and fourth 

 joints moderately long, nearly equal ; the second, third, and fifth equal, 

 each about thrice the length of the fourth. Anterior wings long and narrow, 

 slightly hairy, costal and dorsal margins nearly parallel, discoidal cell closed ; 

 upper branch of the superior cubitus forked in the male, twice forked in the 

 female.* Posterior wings broad, subtriangular, shorter than the anterior. 

 Legs long ; spurs 2.2.2, each tibia being provided with two small and 

 equal apical spurs. Abdomen robust, depressed in the female. Anal 

 appendages well developed in the male, the inferior pair biarticulate ; in the 

 female the apex of the abdomen is obtuse, with two rounded superior valves. 



" Distribution. — Australasia and the Malay Archipelago " (Hutton). 



* For the neuration of Notanatolira , see Trans. Ent. Hoc. London, ser. 3, 

 vol. 5, pi. 1!), fig. 3. 



