94 NE W ZEALAND ENTOMOLOG Y. 



Family 

 Siculodes subfasciata (Plate XII., fig. 3, 3a larva, 3b pupa). 



This curious insect may be occasionally taken flying 

 round patches of Muhlenbeckia adpressa, which grows freely 

 amongst brushwood in many parts of the country. 



Its larva (Fig. 3a), is very stout and sluggish, resembling 

 the caterpillar of an ordinary Pyrale in general appearance. 

 It feeds in the stems of the creeper, causing large swell- 

 ings therein, which readily betray its presence, and should 

 therefore be cut off and kept until the moth emerges, as 

 specimens obtained in this way are far superior to any 

 captured in the open. The pupa is dark brown, and 

 shining; it lies in the centre of one of the swellings, the 

 larva having previously prepared a safe outlet for the 

 moth in the form of a small burrow leading to the air, its 

 extreme end remaining closed by a thin pellicle of the ori- 

 ginal bark, which effectually prevents the inmate's resting- 

 place being discovered from the exterior (see Fig. 3b, the 

 small circle marked * represents the outlet). 



The perfect insect appears about December, flying rapidly 

 in the hottest sunshine. It varies greatly, both in size and 

 colour, some of the small males being very much suffused 

 with dark brown, while the females usually resemble the 

 figure (3), and are often more than twice the size of their 

 mates. This insect is generally placed in a family called 

 the Siculidce, but I think without sufficient reason, and have 

 therefore located it among the Pyralidse, with which it has 

 unquestionably a great affinity. 



Family TORTRICID^E. 

 Isonomeutis amauropa (Plate XIII., fig. 2, 2a larva). 



This odd little moth may be occasionally seen bask- 

 ing in openings in the forest, and usually flies away 



