336 Transactions. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS OF PUPA. 
| 
| T s Ventro-dorsal 
Measurement at | Extreme Front, Diameter. “Diameter. 
Mm. | Mm | Mm. 
Bottom of eyes .. ie ЙЕ 0-53 | 1-00 | 1-00 
Bottom of first legs = КС 2-41 | 1-24 1-47 
Bottom of second legs Ps ws 2-12 | 1-24 147 
ttom o illae z i 2-59 | 1-24 1-47 
Bottom of antennae xe e 447 | 0-53 0-55 
Extreme length .. 3 b 4:53 | es gk 
Dehiscence. 
(26.) Philocryptica polypodii Watt (The Polypodium-moth). (Plate 27, 
fig. 1; Plate 28; Plate 30, figs. 5-8; Plate 31, figs. 4-11.) 
Harmologa polypodii Watt, N.Z. Jour. Sci. & Tech., vol. 4, p. 257, 
1921. Philocryptica polypodii Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 54, 
р. 164, 1922. `- 
The Imago. 
A pretty little moth having an average expanse of 14mm. Forewings 
in female light brown in ground-colour, with a conspicuous dull-reddish 
outwardly-oblique band near apex, and inner third of costa clothed with 
dark - bluish scales, the remainder of wing with small darker- brown 
markings principally along dorsum, with a diffuse area of dark-bluish, black, 
and brown scales at tornus ; hi wings brown. Male differs in that fore- 
wings are almost entirely dull-bluish excepting for small apical area beyond 
oblique bar which is almost black ; average expanse, 12 mm. 
The original description appears in N.Z. Jour. Sci. & Tech. above quoted. 
General Notes. 
. This moth was first discovered in 1919, when reared from mines obtained 
in the Botanical Gardens, Wellington. Its coloration and markings give 
it excellent protection when resting amongst the dead or dying leaves of its 
ood-plant, and it is possibly due to its inconspicuousness that it has not 
been taken before, since its mines are common in a locality worked very 
thoroughly by expert entomologists. In the resting position the wings are 
folded tent-wise over the body and the apices have the appearance of being 
pinched together. When disturbed the moth runs about actively with fre- 
quent momentary pauses, and when on the wing flight is rapid and erratic. 
I have never seen the imago in the field, but Mr. Hudson tells me he has 
on. No parasites have as yet been obtained. 
