







XVII—THE TINEIDAE, 
THIOTRICHA TETRAPHALA. 
(Thiotricha tetraphala, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xviii., 164.) 
(Plate XXVIL, fis, 17.) 
This rather inconspicuous species has occurred in the 
North Island at Waimarino and in the South Island at 
Christchurch, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu and Invereargill. 
The expansion of the wings is Slightly over 4 inch. The 
fore-wings are elongate, with the costa almost straight and the 
termen very oblique; dull white, speckled and spotted with dark 
greyish-brown,; the costal and basal areas are densely speckled; 
there is a conspicuous, elongate, oblique spot on the disc at about 
4; an oblong patch on the dorsum at $#; a narrow, elongate mark 
before the apex, and a series of minute indistinct marginal marks 
before and beyond the apex. The hind-wings are pale grey. 
According to Mr. Philpott the larva of this insect feeds 
on the manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) during the 
early summer. It constructs a case composed of the tips 
of the leaves of its food-plant placed one upon the other, 
each fragment covering about one-half of the preceding. 
When full-grown the length of the larva is about three- 
sixteenths of an inch and its general colour dull pink, with 
the head and first segment dark brown. It walks with 
about half its body projected from the ease. 
The pupa state is spent within the case constructed by 
the larva. 
The perfect insect appears from January till March, 
but does not seem to be very common or generally distri- 
buted. 
THIOTRICHA OLEARIAH, n. sp. 
(Plate XLVIL., fig. 7 4; Plate IL., fig. 30 larva in case.) 
At present this species has only been reared from the 
larva, which was discovered by Stella Hudson, at Breaker 
Bay, near the entrance to Wellington Harbour. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly under 4 inch. The 
fore-wings are rather narrow, with the costa almost Straight, the 
termen oblique and the dorsum nearly parallel with the costa; 
dull white, much sprinkled and clouded with pale brown on the 
basal fourth and on the costal region from about 4 to near the 
apex; there is a chain of black scales on the fold, terminating 
in a rather conspicuous black spot at about 4; clusters of black 
scales are usually present near the tornal region, in the middle 
of the termen, near the apex and sometimes in the disc. The 
hind-wings, which have the apex strongly produced, are dull 
greyish-ochreous; the cilia of all the wings are brownish-grey. 
The larva, which feeds on Olearia solandri in Novem- 
ber, constructs a case about 4+ inch in length, strongly bent 
at its posterior third. It is apparently made of three bracts 
of the Olearia, the earliest formed part of the case being 
at an angle with the two later formed portions, which are 
stouter and usually pretty well in alignment. The enclosed 
larva is very stout, greenish-brown, much wrinkled with the 
horny head, dorsal plate of second segment and legs black- 
ish; minute prolegs are situated on segments 7-10. The 
last segment is horny with well-developed anal prolegs 
which retain a firm hold on the ease. 
The perfect insect emerges towards the end of 
January. 
THIOTRICHA THORYBODES. 
(Thiotricha thorybodes, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xviii., 164.) 
(Plate XXVIL., fig. 16; Plate III., fig. 16, larva in case.) 
At present this very obscure-looking species has only 
heen observed at Wellington and at Christehurch. 
The expansion of the wings is about 4 inch. The fore-wings 
are elongate and narrow with veins 6 and 7 stalked; very dark 
brown, speckled with ochreous, with purplish-bronzy reflections: 
the markings are very indistinct, consisting of “a dark triangu- 
lar patch on the costa before the middle, an obscure brown dot 
in the dise slightly beyond the middle and a pale ochreous spot 
in the dise at about 3” (Meyrick). The hind-wings and the cilia 
of all the wings are pale greyish-ochreous. 
The larva, which feeds on the leaves of Miihlenbeckia, 
is slender, sooty black, with the head dark brown, the 
second and anal segments black and highly polished, and 
the skin of the rest of the body much wrinkled and furn- 
ished with a few extremely minute tubercles and isolated 
bristles. It constructs a portable case out of small dried 
fragments of the leaves of its food-plant, which are vari- 
ously arranged, cases belonging to different individuals 
being of diverse shapes and sizes. The length of the case 
averages about 2 inch. When attached to the food-plant 
this case is extremely inconspicuous, as it so closely resem- 
bles a curled fragment of dead leaf. On emergence the 
moth rests on the case for a considerable time, where it 
also exactly resembles a minute blackened fragment of leaf 
adhering to the case. This habit, combined with the highly 
protective character of the case, has no doubt shielded the 
species from many enemies. 
The perfect insect appears in December and January, 
and frequents forest. Owing to its retired habits and ob- 
seure colouring it is very seldom noticed. Probably, how-. 
ever, it is actually much commoner than it appears to be. 
Genus 7—PHTHORIMAEA, Meyr. 
Basal joint of antennae without pecten. Labial palpi with 
second joint expanded with rough projecting scales beneath, ter- 
minal joint as long as second or shorter. Hind-wings 1-or hardly 
over, with termen sinuate beneath acute apex; 3 and 4 connate, 
5 somewhat approximated, 6 and 7 remote or approximated at 
base, posteriorly parallel. 
A very extensive genus of wide distribution. 
We have ten species in New Zealand, of which two are 
confined to the North Island, five to the South Island, and 
three common to both Islands. 
PHTHORIMAEA OPERCULELLA. 
(Gelechia operculella, Zell., Zool. Bot. Ver. 1873, 262; terrelia, 
Walk., Cat. xxx., 1024 (praeoce.); solanella, Boisd., J.B. 
Soc. Centr. Hort. 1874, 713; Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 
1879, 112; Trans, N.Z. Inst., xviii., 166.) 
(Plate XXVILI., fig. 18 @.) 
This very dull-ecoloured species has occurred at Tara- 
naki, Napier and Wellington, in the North Island, and at 
Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invereargill in the 
South Island. It is reported as abundant throughout 

