

















































IZATHA AUSTERA. 
(Semiocosma austerad, Meyy., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvi., 25.) 
(Plate XXXII., fig. 6 9; Plate III., fig. 31 larva.) 
This very dark, dull-looking species has occurred at 
Whangarei, Kaeo, Auckland and various localities in the 
neighbourhood of Wellington. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly under # inch. The 
fore-wings are dark brown more or less mixed with paler brown; 
there is a conspicuous black spot on the fold at 4; an arched 
dark brown mark in the disc beyond the middle; a curved series 
of paler brown spots on the terminal area, often forming a con- 
tinuous band and a marginal series of pale spots from before 
the apex to the tornus. The hind-wings are very dark blackish- 
brown, paler towards the base. 
There is considerable variation in the extent of the 
light and dark colouring on the fore-wings. 
The larva lives in silken tubes under the bark of dead 
wineberry trees (Aristotelia racemosa) during the winter 
months, becoming full-grown about September. Its length 
is sightly over $ inch; slender and cylindrical; the head is 
reddish-brown, highly polished; the second segment dark 
brown and horny; the third segment has two triangular 
brown horny dorsal plates; the rest of the body is dull 
ochreous, with a very broad slaty-black dorsal band and 
four conspicuous horny dorsal tubercles; the terminal seg- 
ment is horny, yellowish-brown; there is a series of con- 
spicuous lateral tubercles and a whitish lateral ridge; all 
the tubercles emit long yellowish-brown bristles. 
The perfect insect appears from the middle of Decem- 
ber until the end of January, but is seldom observed. It 
is extremely inconspicuous when resting on bare tree- 
trunks. Specimens are occasionally taken at sugar, or dis- 
turbed amongst serub during the day-time. 
IZATHA CONVULSELLA. 
(Gelechia convulsella, Walk., Cat., xxix., 656; Semiocosma para- 
neurd, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxiv., 219. 
CRlater xoxox 5, oye Le Or) 
This small and rather inconspicuous species has oc- 
curred at Palmerston North, Otaki, Wellington, - Christ- 
church, Lake Wakatipu, and Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is about 4 inch. The fore-wings 
are rather narrow with the termen oblique, dull bluish-grey irre- 
gularly speckled with black and with white markings; there is 
a dark basal patch; a rather broad, curved, white band from the 
costa at about 4; a very indefinite darker central band; an in- 
distinct whitish line from 3 of the costa to the tornus; there are 
three or four small black marks in the disc before the middle; 
a black spot beyond the middle and a much fainter spot before 
the apex; a series of marginal dots extend from the costa at 
about #3 to the tornus. The hind-wings’ are greyish-ochreous, 
darker towards the apex and termen. 
The larva, which lives under the seales of the bark of 
Rimu trees (Dacrydium cupressinum), is about 4 ineh in 
length, stout with a horny dark brown head and two horny 
plates on the second segment. The rest of the body is dull 
yellowish-brown with six rows of horny warts each emitting 
a long bristle. 
XVI1—THE 

TINEIDAE. 
The perfect insect appears about the end of October 
and is met with until the middle of December. It is usually 
discovered resting on fences or tree-trunks, but is now a 
rather rare insect, having apparently decreased in numbers 
during the last 25 years. Mr. Meyrick remarks that this 
species ‘‘differs from all others of the genus in having vein 
9 of the fore-wings rising out of the stalk of 7 and 8 instead 
of separately; but as it agrees in all other structural 
characters, it is neither necessary nor expedient to form a 
new genus for its reception.’’ 
IZATHA PHAEOPTILA. 
(Trachypepla phdeoptila, Meyr., Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.; 
1905, 236.) 
(Plate XXXI., fig. 27 @.) 
This very inconspicuous-looking species has oecurred 
near Mount Holdsworth and in the neighbourhood of Well- 
ington. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over 4 inch. The 
fore-wings are brown, irregularly strewn with white, ochreous- 
brown and black scales; the markings are very indefinite; there 
is a blackish basal patch on the dorsum, a large irregular black- 
ish blotch near the middle of the costa, some raised tufts in the 
disc, an obscure ochreous-brown patch beyond these followed by 
a very indefinite, somewhat crescentic whitish mark. The hind- 
wings are brown, paler towards the base. 
The larva, which feeds on lichens (?) growing on tree- 
trunks, is about $ inch in length, cylindrical, slightly taper- 
ing posteriorly; the head and second segment are horny 
dark brown; the rest of the body is pinkish-brown, paler 
underneath; there are two horny plates on the third seg- 
ment; a single row of large black warts round the fourth 
segment; four conspicuous warts on the back of segments 
five to eleven inclusive and a single wart on each side of 
those segments; there is a row of indistinct warts round 
segment twelve; the last segment is black, becoming yellow- 
ish-brown at its extremity; there are numerous crooked 
brown bristles which arise from the warts. 
The perfect insect appears in February and March, 
and is found in forest. It often enters houses. 
IZATHA AMORBAS. 
(Zirosaris amorbas, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlii., 66; Trachy- 
pepla anorbas, ibid., xliii., 66.) 
(Plate xox Ste OF.) 
This obseure-looking insect was discovered by Mr. J. 
H. Lewis at Broken River, Canterbury. It has also occurred 
at Picton, Nelson, St. Leonards, near Dunedin, Kinloch, 
Lake Wakatipu and Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is about 3 inch. The fore-wings 
are elongate with the apex and tornus rounded; dark blackish- 
grey thickly speckled with paler grey; there are three very ob- 
scure darker transverse bands from the costa at about 3, $ and 
%; the discal spots are indistinct consisting of tufts of brownish- 
ochreous raised scales. The hind-wings are dark brown, some- 
times with a pale yellow blotch on the median third of the costa. 
The perfect insect appears from November till Janu- 
ary, and is found in forest. 


