
XVII.—THE 
Kastern Australia, where it is regarded as a highly injuri- 
ous insect. 
The expansion of the wings is about # inch. The fore-wings 
are elongate-ovate with the apex rather acute and the termen 
very oblique; pale greyish-ochreous thickly mottled and dotted 
with blackish-grey or brown, especially near the base and dor- 
sum; the principal veins are faintly marked with yellowish- 
brown, there are two or three small blackish spots near the base 
and a terminal series of blackish dots. The hind-wings are pale 
grey, furnished in the male with a long dense pencil of hairs 
from the costa at the pase. 
There is considerable variation in the depth of the 
brownish- or blackish-grey mottling on the fore-wings. 
The larva feeds gregariously on the potato (Solanum) 
and is stated to eat the foliage in the summer, and the 
tubers whilst stored in the winter. When full-grown it is 
about 4 inch in length, elongate, dull white, slightly tinged 
with pink, with the upper surface of the head and second 
segment brown. The legs are brown, slender, with the 
prolegs on the abdominal segments distinct, and the dorsal 
surface lightly elothed with scattered hairs. It spins a 
loose cocoon and generally pupates close under the skin 
of the tuber, protected by the surrounding debris. (Frog- 
gart). 
This insect does very great damage, especially where 
potatoes are allowed to remain stored for any length of 
time, and sometimes destroys nine-tenths of the crop. 
The perfect insect appears from November till May, 
coming freely to lamps, and flying at dusk in potato fields. 
The species has certainly been introduced with the potato, 
and is a native of North America, but is now widely spread 
in Australia, Africa and Europe. 
Walker’s name is really the older, but cannot be 
allowed to stand, as he appears to have overlooked the 
already existing Gelechia terrella, Hiibn., a well-known and 
abundant European species. (Meyrick.) 
PHTHORIMAEBA THYRAULA. 
(Gelechia thyraula, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xviii., 167.) 
(Plate XXVIL., fig. 10.) 
This pretty little species has occurred at Wellington, 
Christchurch, Castle Hill and Menzies’ Ferry, near Inver- 
earegill. 
fore-wings are elongate, with the apex acute; pale ochreous-yellow 
there is asmall blackish mark on the costa at the base; two small 
dots, one on the fold and one above it; an irregular oblique black- 
ish band on the costa at 4 touching the fold; two discal spots near 
the middle; several clusters of orange-brown scales in the disc; 
a scattered group of black scales before the apex, and a dense 
group at the apex. The hind-wings are pale grey. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly under 4 inch. The 
The perfect insect appears from November till Febru- 
ary, and is usually found in forest. 
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Phil- 
pott’s collection. 

TINEIDAE. 255 
PHTHORIMAEA QUIETA. 
(Phthorimaea quieta, Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst., lvii., 706.) 
(Plate LII., fig. 7 ¢@.) 
This very delicate-looking species was discovered by 
Mr. S. Lindsay at Bottle Lake, near Christchurch. 
The expansion of the wings is seven-sixteenths of an inch. 
The fore-wings are lanceolate; very pale grey, almost white; 
markings formed by irregular clusters of black scales; two 
oblique bands from costa to fold before middle; a large irregular 
triangular patch on middle of costa; a second very much smaller 
patch beyond 4; three ill-defined transverse bands before apex; 
between these markings the wing is more or less densely sprin- 
kled with blackish-grey scales and there are some pale brown 
scales in the disc; the cilia are pale grey with a few isolated 
black scales. The hind-wings are pale brown with greyish-ochre- 
ous cilia. 
Near Phthorimaea thyraula, but apparently distin- 
guished by the very pale ground colour of fore-wings. Both 
species have rather indefinite markings. 
The perfect insect appears in March. 
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Lind- 
say’s collection. 
PHTHORIMAEA BRONTOPHORA. 
(Gelechia brontophora, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xviii., 168.) 
CEAEWKE SON Glas Tikes alley) 
This little insect has occurred on the sea-coast near 
Wellington in the North Island. In the South Island it 
has been found at Christchurch and is common at Menzies’ 
Ferry, near Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is about seven-sixteenths of an 
inch. The fore-wings are elongate, with the apex acute; pale 
ochreous-yellow, densely but irregularly strewn with blackish- 
grey and brown scales, there is a pale irregular bar at } and an 
angulated pale band beyond the middle; five irregular black dis- 
cal spots, and a dense costal clouding from the base to the mid- 
dle, reaching as far as the fold. The hind-wings are pale grey 
with the apical cilia golden-ochreous. 
This species somewhat resembles Phthorimaea thy- 
raula, but the fore-wings are very much more thickly scat- 
tered with blackish scales and the discal spots much larger. 
The perfect insect appears from November till Feb- 
ruary, and is usually found in forest. It seems to be a 
very local species. 
Deseribed and figured from a specimen in Mr. Phil- 
pott’s collection. 
PHTHORIMAEA CHERADIAS. 
Gelechia cheradias, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xli., 12.) 
(Plate XXVII., fig. 9.) 
This rather distinctly-marked species was discovered 
by Mr. Philpott at New River near Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is 4 inch. The fore-wings are 
pale ochreous-brown; there is a broad cloudy longitudinal white 
stripe beneath the costa, extending from the base to the apex, 
and another similar stripe along the dorsum; two black patches 
are situated on the fold at about 4 and 4; two much smaller 
black dots between + and 4, and a row of small black marks ex- 
tends from slightly before the apex to the tornus. The hind-wings 
are pale greyish-ochreous. 

