440 SOME AUSTRALIAN MOTHS PHOM LORD HOWE I. 



stalment consists exclusively of Australian species. Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 

 have been previously recorded from the island. The series of Macalla concisella 

 shoAvs considerable variability and approaches so closely to Australian examples, 

 which are also variable, that I can no longer regard it as a distinct species. 

 M. phoenopasta Turn, is only a local race of concisella, distinguished in the c? sex 

 by a greater development of coloured scales in the forewing. As a local race it 

 is truly endemic. The example of Dichromia quinqiialis differs from my examples 

 in the dark colour of the large triangular mark on the forewings being developed 

 only at its apex. This may be only an individual aberration, but it may point 

 to the existence of an endemic race. In the two examples previously seen I 

 made no note on this point, but they may have been in poor condition. 



Omitting No. 7, there remain eleven species exactly similar to examples from 

 the Australian mainland, and the question that interests us is how they got to the 

 island. Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 13 are very widely distributed and appear to be 

 well able to cross the seas. Of them Hymenia fascialis is common in gardens on 

 cucurbitaceous plants, and may have been introduced. Nos. 3, 8, 9, 10, and 14 

 are purely Australian. One of them, Scardamia chrysolina, is uncommon, re- 

 corded only from Brisbane and Newcastle. The others are abundant. Sericea 

 spectans takes shelter, sometimes in large numbers, in caves, hollow trees, and 

 houses. It may well have travelled in the hold or cabins of a ship. Oeceticus 

 elongattts is a most unexpected find on an oceanic island. Like all Psychidae, 

 the ? is a wingless grub, which never leaves its case. It is conceivable that a c? 

 might be blown overseas, but most unlikely, for it is short-lived, and uses its 

 powers of flight only for mating. This species must have been artificially intro- 

 duced in the larval or pupal stage. Their cases are often seen in gardens, and 

 the transportation of a few young fruit-trees might easily have conveyed them. 



I have a strong suspicion that steamer and ship traffic plays an important 

 part in the introduction of Australian species of lepidoptera into Lord Howe I., 

 Norfolk I., and New Zealand. 



n of the 

 left t 



