194 



Townsville, Queensland, in October; a series bred by Mr. 

 F. P. Dodd from larvae which tunnel the smaller stems of 

 Gremllea striata, and probably other proteaceous shrubs. On 

 pupating the enrance is completely blocked by a white plug. 



Type in Coll. Walsingham. 



Xylorycta rhizophaga, n. sp. 



Male and female, 25-33 mm. Head and thorax white. Palpi 

 white, anteriorly suffused with fuscous. Antennae white, in 

 male laminate, laminations two-thirds, ending in tufts of cilia. 

 Abdomen grey-whitish; two basal segments irrorated with 

 orange scales. Legs whitish ; anterior and middle pairs fus- 

 cous anteriorly. Forewings narrow-oblong, costa gently 

 arched, apex obtuse; hindmargin straight, rounded beneath, 

 scarcely oblique ; snow white ; costal edge fuscous towards base ; 

 cilia snow white. Hindwings 1 J ; hindmargin rounded ; ^ey ; 

 towards base whitish ; cilia white. 



Easily distinguished from X. homoleuca, Low., which has all 

 the wings naiTower, hindmargin of forewings oblique, hind- 

 wings whitish, and male antennae not laminate. 



Townsville, Queensland, in November and December ; a 

 series bred by Mr. F. P. Dodd. 



The larva feeds on Fersoonia falcata. It forms a spout-like 

 chamber of silk and fragments of bark just on or an inch or 

 two above the surface of the ground, and tunnels the stem for 

 from 6 to 10 inches, the tunnel being nearly wholly under- 

 ground, and sometimes extending intoaroot. If thestemis acci- 

 dentally broken it ^pins a chimney to the surface of the ground. 

 When about to pupate it shuts off the upper part of the cham- 

 ber, and forms a new short spout, through which it emerges. 

 The pupa is placed at the bottom of the long tunnel, the moth 

 leaves the pupal shell there, and creeps up the tunnel to the 

 surface. 



Type in Coll. Walsingham. 



Xylorycta basileia, n. s(p. 

 Male and female, 17-19 mm. Head, purple-fuscous ; lower 

 part of face yellow. Palpi purple-fuscous; lower part of 



second joint yellow anteriorly. Antennae dark fuscous ; cilia- 

 tions in male very short (one-fifth). Thorax golden-yellow. 

 Abdomen ochreous-fuscous ; tuft ochreous. Legs yellowish; 

 anterior and middle pairs fuscous anteriorly. Forewings elon- 

 gate-oblong ; costa arched, in male more strongly ; apex round- 

 pointed ; hindmargin oblique, rounded beneath ; deep shining 

 purple ; extreme base and a median band golden-yellow ; 



