16 



Omiodes afitidoxa ^Icyr. (Plate II, tig. 8). 



" $ 24 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen light fuscous, mixed with 

 whitish, anal tuft mixed with dark fuscous. Palpi dark fuscous, lower 

 half white. Fore wings moderate, apex rather prominent, termen sinuate 

 beneath it; light fuscous, mixed with whitish-ochreous ; first line repre- 

 sented by a thick black streak from i of dorsum to beneath discal spot, 

 its upper edge very obtusely angulated-prominent beneath orbicular dot; 

 a black orbicular dot, and small transverse-oval discal spot ; second line 

 obsecurely pale, followed by a thick blackish posteriorly suffused streak, 

 straight except toward costa, where it curves towards apex; a terminal 

 series of blackish triangular dots. Hind wings fuscous, mixed with 

 whitish-fuscous ; a cloudy dark fuscous discal dot ; a straight pale post- 

 median line, edged posteriorly with dark fuscous suffusion ; an inter- 

 rupted dark fuscous terminal line." [Meyrick, I^auna Hawaiiensis, III, 

 Pt. IV, p. 35S, 1904.] 



Aside from sexual eharaeters the female is similar t(t almvc 

 description. 



Tliis is a very rare species. A few specimens were colleeted l)y 

 Dr. Perkins in Koolau mountains above ^^'aialua, Oaliu. I have 

 reared several moths from caterpillars found feeding on a sedge 

 {RJiyncospora thyrsoidea) in the mountains ahove Palolo, Oahu. 

 My specimens may possibly be a new species; but they only dilier 

 from the specimens of ajitidoxa collected b}^ Dr. Perkins, in being 

 a darker shade and the orbicular dot less conspicuous, often 

 absent, and in having a wider space beyond second line of fore 

 wing. 



On two different occasions I collected caterpillars from a certain 

 patch of sedge in the Palolo locality mentioned above; l)ut alt ho 

 the same species of sedge was abundant in otlu'r places on the 

 ridge, I found none of the caterpillars elsewhere. The}' prol)al)ly 

 feed upon but the one species of sedge; however, in rearing them 

 in breeding jars they readily fed on a different species of sedge, 

 Cyperus rotimdus, the species Avhich is such a nuisance in many 

 lawns, gardens and some sugar plantations, commonly called 

 " .bipanese grass," " nut grass," and " bull) grass." The cater- 

 pillar usually feeds in the heart of the sedge plant, eating the 

 newer leaves, and spinning them tctgt'ther for a " retreat." 



