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DESCRIPTIONS OF FOUR NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN 

 CADDIS-FLIES, (ORDER TRICHOPTERA). 



By R, J. Tillyard, M.A., Sc.D. (Cantab.), D.Sc. (Sydney), C.M.Z.S., F.L.S., 

 F.E.S,, Entomologist and Chief of the Biological Department, Cawthron In- 

 stitute, Nelson, N.Z., formerly Linnean Macleay Fellow in Zoology. 



(With one Plate and six Text-figures). 



The study of the Caddis-flies or Trichoptera of Australia and Tasmania has 

 been greatly neglected, the most recent contribution to our knowledge of them, 

 by Dr. G. Ulmer (1916), listing only twenty-four species all told, of which one 

 genus and six species are described as new. This is certainly only a small 

 fraction of the total Caddis-fly Fauna actually existing, since I have, in my own 

 collection, about fifty undescribed species, most of which have been gathered 

 from comparatively very few localities. These insects being for the most part 

 unattractive and lacking in bright colours, are seldom taken by the ordinary 

 collector. The systematist, again, if he wishes to study and describe them, finds 

 many difficulties in his path. Until he has arrived at a considerable knowledge 

 of the Order, he will require to study at least four specimens of each species, 

 two males and two females. Two of these should be dissected, and cleared 

 mounts made of their wings, mouth-parts, antennae, legs and abdominal appen- 

 dages. The other two should be set in the usual manner, in order to be made 

 the types of a new species, if, as very frequently happens with Australian speci- 

 mens, they prove to be undescribed. 



It will not be necessary here to go into details of the scheme of the wing- 

 venation, which has been fully set out by Ulmer (1907), in a most comprehensive 

 part of the Genera Insectorum, and compared with that of related Orders by 

 myself (1919). The venational notation used in this paper will be the amended 

 notation as given in that work. The classification adopted for the Order will 

 be that given by Ulmer in his work just mentioned. The short notation for the 

 tibial spurs will be used as in Ulmer's work; i.e., "Spurs 2, 4, 4," indicates that 

 the fore tibiae possess one pair of spurs, the middle and hind tibiae two pairs 

 each; while an odd number indicates a terminal spur only (1), or else a terminal 

 pair with a single one further from the apex of the tibia (3). 



There remains the necessity for a short explanation of the difficult and very 

 complicated anal appendages of the male. These are best dealt with from above 

 downwards, as follows: — 



