| Ferepay.—Description of new Genera and Species of Psychide. 261 
shade. Head and three first segments retractile. The cases of full-fed 
larve vary in size from 14 to 8} inches, long, narrow, and tapering, 
colour varying from light to dark grey, generally smooth but sometimes — 
ornamented with pieces of twig or leaves laid on longitudinally in somewhat 
regular order, inside thickly lined with fine brown silk. The case is 
exceedingly tough. I have tested its strength and found that fracture takes 
place at 32 lbs. The larva is found feeding on all kinds of trees and shrubs, 
both evergreen and deciduous, not even rejecting the common laurel, and I 
have named the insect omnivora on that account. I noticed it first on 
willow trees, when I came to the colony in 1862. Willow, wattle, and : 
coniferous trees appear to afford a particularly favourite food. The cases 
found on the willow and wattle are generally smooth and plain, but those 
on the coniferous trees are frequently embossed with small pieces of twig 
and foliage laid on longitudinally in an order that seems to indicate design. 
Until fully grown the larva moves about with the case from leaf to leaf 
feeding with its anterior segments and prolegs extruded. Attached to the 
interior of the mouth of the case are silken threads which the larva, when 
disturbed, draws so as to close the orifice. The larva before assuming the 
pupa state fixes the case by repeated bindings of silk round a twig, as 
shown in plate IX., on firmly attaching it to the trunk of the tree. The 
larva whilst feeding suspends the case by a thread. The case is very small 
at first, the larva commencing to form it soon after birth; and, as the larva 
increases in size, so is the case enlarged, the larva Tes to it from time 
to time as a mason builds a chimney. Fig. 1 represents a case fixed to 
a twig of willow with the pupa skin extruded ; fig. 4, a case containing a 
partly-grown larva as suspended when at rest. 
Notwithstanding the security afforded by the case, a dipterous insect 
(somewhat resembling a common bluebottle-fly, but not larger than a 
common house-fly) is very destructive to the larva. I have found as many 
as nine out of every ten cases filled with the cocoons of the fly. The fly 
(fig. 2) is represented at rest on the case. 
I find the cases have become much less common in my garden than 
— formerly, which I attribute to the increase of birds. 
Fig. 8 represents a portion of the branch of a larch fir, with a case of 
this insect attached. The silk wound round the branch prevented the 
return of the sap, and caused an extraordinary swelling of the upper part 
of the branch. It was found by Mr. James Townsend, at Christchurch. 
OROPHORA, n.g. 
[From ópoóf “ thatch,” and gopeiv “ to bear,” alluding to the case being covered 
with pieces of grass in the manner of thatch. 
] 
Male.—Body stout, extremely lanate ; head small, not prominent ; palpi 
