



XVII—THE 
A very large sub-family, but especially characteristic 
of Australia and New Zealand; it is also well developed 
elsewhere, but does not form nearly so large a proportion 
of the whole fauna as it does in these two regions. It is very 
remarkable that under these circumstances the Australian 
and New Zealand representatives of the sub-family are not 
at all nearly related together, and evidently do not pro- 
ceed from an immediate common origin.* 
Represented in New Zealand by the following twenty- 
seven genera :— 
. ENDROSIS. 
. SCHIFFERMUBLLERIA. 
3. BORKHAUSENTA. 
. LEPTOCROCA, 
. CHERSADAULA. 
. KUCHERSADAULA., 
. COMPSISTIS. 
. THAMNOSARA. 
. GYMNOBATHRA. 
. AOCHLETA. 
. IZATHA. 
. TRACHYPEPLA. 
. COROCOSMA. 
. ATOMOTRICHA. 
. BARA. 
. EULECHRIA. 
. LOCHEUTIS. 
. PAROCYSTOLA. 
. EUTHICTIS. 
. OXYTHECTA. 
PHILOBOTA. 
NYMPHOSTOLA. 
PROTEODES. 
LATHICROSSA. 
CRYPTOLECHIA. 
. SYMMOCA. 
. HUTORNA. 
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oo bo 
bp b bt 
AAT 
Group A. Ocecophoridr. 
Antennae in @ regularly ciliated; 7 of fore-wings to costa. 
Genus 1—ENDROSIS, Hitibn. 
Hind-wings ovate-lanceolate; 5 absent. (Plate G., figs. 4, 5, 
6 neuration and head of Endrosis lacteella.) 
The single species is domestic and artificially intro- 
duced in many parts of the world, its origin being un- 
certain. 
ENDROSIS LACTEELLA. 
(Endrosis lacteella, Schiff. Syst. Verz. 1389; Hndrosis fenestrelia, 
Stt.; Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxi., 160; Gelechia subdi- 
tella, Walk., Cat. xxix., 657.) 
(Plate XXVIII., fig. 12.) 
This well-known domestic species, which has been in- 
troduced by man, is very common in houses throughout 
the country. 
The expansion of the wings is about 8 inch. The fore-wings 
are dull white densely speckled with brownish-grey and with ob- 
scure blackish markings; there is a small white patch at the 
base and more or less indefinite blackish patches before the mid- 
dle, beyond the middle and near the apex. The hind-wings are 
pale greyish-ochreous; the head and thorax are clear white and 
the abdomen pale brown. 
The larva, which feeds on seeds, dry refuse, pollard, 
ete., is dull yellowish-white with the head reddish-brown 
and the hinder portion of the second segment pale brown. 
Its length, when full-grown, is about 3 inch. The pupa is 
enclosed in a tough silken cocoon covered with refuse. 
The perfect insect 1s found in houses and gardens 
throughout the year, but is commonest during the summer. 

*An account of the male Genitalia of the N.Z. members of 
this sub-family is given by Mr. Philpott in the Trans. N.Z. Inst., . 
lviii., 102. 
TINEIDAE. 
It is often seen sitting on windows, and is very abundant 
in barns and granaries where there is always a plentiful 
supply of food for the larva. 
Genus 2.—SCHIFFERMUELLERIA, Hibn. 
Basal joint of antennae without pecten. Hind-wings ovate- 
lanceolate. Moderately numerous; chiefly confined to the North- 
ern Hemisphere. (Plat H., figs. 1, 2, 3 neuration and head of 
Schiffermuelleria orthophanes.) 
We have one species in New Zealand. 
SCHIFFERMUELLERIA ORTHOPHANHS. 
(Compsistis orthophanes, Meyr., Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1905, 
243.) 
(Plate XXVIII., fig. 17.) 
This clearly-marked little species has occurred at 
Auckland, Waimarino, Wellington, Nelson and Inverear- 
gill. Formerly it was extremely rare, but of late years 
has become comparatively common. 
The expansion of the wings is % inch. The fore-wings, 
which have the termen obliquely rounded, are dark brownish- 
black with a slight purplish gloss; there are three broad, rather 
The hind-wings are 
irregular, broken transverse yellow bands. 
dark brown. 
The perfect insect appears from September till March, 
and is usually observed indoors. It is a very active insect 
and seems likely to have acquired semi-domestice habits, 
which would account for its recent increase in numbers. 
Genus 3—BORKHAUSENIA, Hiibn. 
Basal joint of antennae with pecten. Hind-wings elongate- 
ovate or ovate-lanceolate. (Plate G., figs. 7, 8, 9 neuration and 
head of Borkhausenia arnrigerelia.) 
A large genus of general distribution, but proportion- 
ately more numerous in New Zealand than anywhere else, 
where it is represented by no less than sixty species. Of 
these six are confined to the North Island; thirty-seven to 
the South Island and seventeen common to both islands. 
Its members are all rather small insects, ranging from 
4 to $ inch in expanse of wing. The species generally fre- 
quent scrub, or open forests, and some of them are ex- 
tremely abundant. The colouring is chiefly protective and 
usually imitative of fallen leaves. Most of the species drop 
to the ground when disturbed and thus escape detection. A 
few of these insects have well-defined markings, but in the 
majority they are very indefinite. They thus offer great 
difficulties both in respect of description and delineation, 
and, as a result, the genus includes a larger number of 
doubtful species than usual. 
The larvae are subterranean and sluggish in their 
habits, mostly living in tubes constructed of silk and refuse. 
They have the head and thoracic segments unusually small, 
the remaining segments being very large and cylindrical 
with minute and feeble prolegs. The food of the larvae 
appears to be roots, or possibly in some eases decaying vege- 

