LEPIDOPTERA 309 



to turnips, rape and cabbages as amounting annually to hundreds 

 of thousands of pounds, and in some seasons as exceeding ^£250,000. 

 Rape is, however, the least damaged. The species was introduced 

 certainly more than 30 years ago. 



According to Mr T. W. Kirk the moth occurs from August to 

 May ; he states that it first came into notice in the Wellington district 

 in 1879. 



Hilgendorf gives the average cycle of the life of the insect as 

 53 days: the adult moth lives from 10 to 15 days; the eggs, which 

 average 18 in number, are laid on the third to the seventh day, and 

 they hatch out in nine days; the hfe of the caterpillar is 22 days; 

 and the pupation period 17 days. From January to March, in 

 badly infested districts, the moths are seen on the turnip fields in 

 clouds; and they destroy about 75 per cent, of the crop. Smith says 

 they attack and destroy all species of Brassica. 



The caterpillars are attacked and destroyed by the larvae of the 

 common hover ^es—Syrphus novee-zealandia and Melanostoma fas- 

 datum. 



The eastern districts of Britain were ravaged by the caterpillars 

 of Plutella maculipennis in 1891, when it was noticed that various 

 kinds of birds were very effective enemies, especially rooks, starlings, 

 and sea-gulls; and it was stated that where small birds had been 

 exterminated the damage was worse. 



Bedellia somnidentella, Zeller 



This moth has been known for the last 20 years or more; its 

 larva mines large blotches on the leaves of species of Convolvulus, 

 Calystegia and Ipomoea. The late Mr A. Purdie of Dunedin bred it 

 freely from its larva some 20 years ago. The moth occurs usually 

 from September to November. Mr W. W. Smith reports it as occur- 

 ring in Taranaki commonly. 



Opogona comptella, Walk. 



This moth was taken at Nelson by Mr Sunley in 19 10, and is 

 considered by Mr Meyrick to be an accidental introduction from 

 South-east Australia, where the species is common. Mr Howes 

 obtained a specimen more recently on the Raurimu Spiral. 



Tricophaga tapetiella, Linn. (T. palastrica). 

 Clothes Moth ; Tapestry Moth 



I do not know when this moth was first introduced. Its larva 

 feeds chiefly on furs and woollen stuffs. Mr Philpott states that it 



