XV-=~THE TORTRICIDAE. 
Genus 4.—CAPUA, Steph. 
Antennae in male ciliated. Palpi moderate, porrected, sec- 
ond joint with more or less projecting scales above and beneath, 
terminal short. Thorax usually with slight crest. Fore-wings 
with veins 7 and 8 stalked, 7 to termen. Hind-wings with veins 
3 and 4 connate or seldom stalked, 5 approximated to 4 at base, 
6 and 7 stalked. (Plate E., figs. 19, 20 neuration of Capua 
semiferana; fig. 21 head of ditto.) 
Widely distributed, but much more numerous in Aus- 
tralia than elsewhere. 
We have seven species in New Zealand. 
CAPUA CYCLOBATHRA. 
(Epagoge cyclobathra, Meyr. Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxxix., 113.) 
(Plate XXVI., fig. 28 @.) 
This very distinctly-marked species was discovered at 
Invereargill by Mr. Philpott. It also occurs at Dunedin. 
The expansion of the wings is about 2 inch. The fore-wings 
are rather elongate, oblong, with the apex obtuse and the termen 
rather oblique, dull purplish-grey with a large, outwardly curved, 
pale ochreous basal patch containing an obscure transverse streak 
and an indistinct basal shading. The hind-wings are pale grey. 
The perfect insect appears from November till March, 
and frequents low undergrowth in forest. At present it 
must be regarded as a rare species. 
CAPUA ZYGIANA. 
(Pyrgotis zygiana, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 39.) 
A single specimen of this species was captured by Mr. 
Meyrick at Christchurch about the year 1882. It has not 
been rediscovered by any other entomologist. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over 4 inch. It is 
stated to differ from the highly variable C. plagiatana in the fus- 
cous ground-colour, leaden strigulations, grey hind-wings and 
small size. 
The perfect insect appears in March. 
T am unacquainted with this species. 
CAPUA PLAGIATANA. 
(Conchylis plagiatana, Walk., Cat., xxviii., 370; Conchylis recu- 
sana, Walk., ib. 371; Grapholitha pundna, Feld., Reis. Nov., 
pl. exxxvii., 43; G. xylinana, ib., 44; Paedisca luciplagana, 
Walk., Cat., xxviii., 381; Dichelia luciplagana, Meyr., Proc. 
Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 1881, 470; Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 36; 
Pyrgotis plagiatana, Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 1881, 
441; Trans. N.Z. Inst., xv., 38; Capua tornota, Meyr.; ib., 
sOob:d, ile)! 
(Plate XXIV., figs. 13, 14, 45 @ varieties; 15, 16, 17 
@ ditto; 18, 19 Auckland Island form.) 
This very pretty and variable species is common and 
generally distributed throughout New Zealand. A large 
and extremely variable form is also very common at Auck- 
land Island. 
The expansion of the wings is from 8 to } inch. The fore- 
wings are triangular with the apex acuile and the termen rather 
curved and oblique; creamy-white with bright yellowish-brown or 
pinkish-brown markings variable in intensity; there is a faint 
basal shading; a short dark brown mark on the dorsum; @ con- 
spicuous dark band from 4 of costa to % of dorsum meeting 
another band from # of costa to % of dorsum, the two forming a 
V-shaped marking and enclosing a more or less triangular whitish 
area, often very conspicuous; a large oval patch above the tor- 
nus; the cilia are the same colour as the dark markings. The 
hind-wings are white, sometimes tinged with ochreous at the 
tip, and more or less dappled with grey; the cilia are white. 
There is much variation. Some specimens marked as 
above described are much clouded with yellow, others with 
pink. Oceasionally almost all the markings are absent and 
the fore-wings are nearly uniform ochreous or yellowish- 
brown, sometimes clouded with darker brown in the middle. 
Another variety has the fore-wings very dark yellowish- 
brown more or less mottled with darker brown, with a few 
small whitish dots and the typical markings almost invis- 
ible. Other forms have the fore-wings creamy-white, 
shaded with dull brown, or bluish-grey on the termen and 
dorsum, the V-shaped marking being very obscure. A very 
striking and fairly common variety of the female has the 
fore-wings very dark chocolate-brown with a conspicuous 
semi-circular white mark on the middle of the costa broadly 
edged with brownish-black. This variety seems to be the — 
insect which was formerly known as Dichelia luciplagana 
(Fig. 17). Forms more or less intermediate between all 
these varieties may occasionally be met with. Specimens 
from Auckland Island are in nearly every case larger, the 
expansion of the wings often nearly reaching 7 inch; the 
white markings on the fore-wings are absent, or very much 
reduced in size; the large V-shaped marking very indistinet 
or absent; the fore-wings often strongly dappled with 
blackish or dark brown and the hind-wings usually strongly 
dappled with grey. In fact the tendency here is evidently 
towards a darker coloration, or melanism, and this is no 
doubt due to the very cold, wet, and stormy climate which 
prevails at the island during most of the year. The larva 
of Capua plagiatana is deseribed by Mr. Meyrick as being 
moderately stout, cylindrical, slightly tapering at each end; 
pale whitish-grey-greenish, becoming darker smoky grey on 
the back; the head and plate of the second segment, when 
young is black, when full-grown greenish-ochreous. It feeds 
between joined leaves of oak (Quercus robur), gnawing 
numerous holes, and forming a loose silken gallery for 
shelter. The pupa is enclosed in a thin silken cocoon in the 
same position. These larvae were found plentiful in April, 
and a female bred indoors in June. The food-plant, being 
imported, the larva is probably polyphagous. I have taken 
the larvae in December, enclosed in twisted leaves of Ars- 
totelia racemosa, and this was probably one of its staple 
foodplants, when the country was in its primitive condition. 
The perfect insect appears from September till June, 
and is fairly common, usually frequenting openings in the 
forest, or scrub. I have, however, never taken it so com- 
monly on the mainland of New Zealand, as I did amongst 
ferns (Polystichum) in the Auckland Island rata forest, 
during November, 1907. 

