THE LEPIDOPTERA. 95 



with lightning speed when an attempt is made to cap- 

 ture it. 



The larva lives under the scaly bark of the matai-tree, 

 feeding on the soft, juicy inner bark and sap. In colour it 

 is light yellowish white, darker on the back, some speci- 

 mens becoming quite pink on the dorsal surface. When 

 full-grown it encloses itself in a tough silken cocoon, 

 covered on the outside with fragments of wood, from which 

 the moth emerges in about a fortnight's time. 



The sexes differ considerably in appearance, the male 

 having much broader wings, and darker in colour than 

 those in the female from which the illustration (Fig. 2) is 

 taken. 



This insect is probably single-brooded, as the larva may 

 be found feeding in the trees during the whole of the 



winter. 



Family TORTRICID^:. 



Cacoecia excessana (Plate XIII., fig. 5, 5 a larva). 



This is the commonest species &f Tortricidiz in New 

 Zealand, and may be found almost without interruption 

 during the whole of the year. 



The larva (Fig. 5 a) feeds on a great variety of plants, the 

 common manuka being probably the most usual food for 

 the species when in a state of nature It now, however, 

 eats numerous European plants, including honeysuckle and 

 occasionally the fruit of the apple, but further evidence is 

 required on the latter subject before we can really consider 

 it as actually injurious in that direction. 



In colour this caterpillar is light green with a yellow 

 line on each side, but varies considerably ; it feeds between 

 several rolled-up leaves, in which it is afterwards converted 

 into a pupa whence the moth emerges in about three 

 weeks' time. 



The perfect insect is also excessively variable and is often 

 more or less suffused with yellow. It is most abundant in 



