XAVIL—THE 
Mr. Meyrick states that this species is distinguishable, 
structurally, from the rest of the genus by the peculiar 
sealing of the palpi, but it does not seem necessary to 
separate it. 
GROUP B.—EULECHRIADI. 
Antennae in male regularly ciliated; vein 7 of fore-wings 
to apex. 
Genus 12.—TRACHYPEPLA, Meyr. 
Basal joint of antennae with pecten. Thorax crested or 
. smooth. Fore-wings with tufts of scales. Hind-wings elongate- 
ovate. (Plate G., figs. 19, 20, 21 neuration and head of Trachy- 
pepla galaxias.) 
This is a very interesting genus, essentially character- 
istic of New Zealand, although five species are also known 
from Australia. Its members are mostly of small size and 
the wing patterns of many of them of extreme beauty. All 
the species are forest dwellers, and are usually found at 
rest on fences or tree-trunks. Some clearly mimic the 
droppings of birds, and the rest moss or lichens. 
The larvae may possibly feed on lichens. 
We have twenty species in New Zealand. Five con- 
fined to the North Island; three to the South Island, and 
twelve common to both islands. 
TRACHYPEPLA ‘LEUCOPLANETIS. 
(Trachypepla lewcoplanetis, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvi., 14.) 
(Plate XXXII fig. 1174.) 
This very beautiful little species has occurred at Auck- 
land, Hamilton, Waimarino, Wellington, Otira River, and 
on the lower slopes of Mount Arthur to 3,000 feet. 
The expansion of the wings is about 4 inch. The fove- 
wings are rather short with the termen obliquely rounded; 
cream-coloured ; there is a Small, oblique, dark brown costal patch 
at the base; a large irregular branching central patch composed 
of blackish-grey and warm brown interspersed with the ground 
colour; a small grey costal patch before the apex and a faint sub- 
terminal bluish shading, sometimes containing two or three 
blackish dots. The hind-wings and the cilia of all the wings 
are rather dark grey. The head and thorax are dark.brown; 
there is a white patch on the posterior portion of the thorax; 
the abdomen is grey, darker towards the extremity. 
There is considerable variation in the details of the 
large central marking on the fore-wings, portions of the 
edges of which are sometimes detached, thus giving rise 
to separate spots. In freshly-emerged specimens several 
small steely-blue patches are also visible in this marking. 
Mr. Meyrick points out that this is the smallest and pro- 
portionally the shortest-winged species of the genus. 
The perfect insect appears at the end of November 
and may be met with until January. It frequents forest, 
but is rarely found. When resting with closed wings on 
a leaf, or twig, the general appearance of the insect is 
strongly suggestive of a small bird-dropping, and this 
resemblance is no doubt highly protective. 
‘TINEIDAE. 283 
TRACHYPEPLA SEMILAUTA. 
(Trachypepla semilduta, Philp., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 1., 129.) 
(Plate XXXVIII., fig. 18 9.) 
This beautiful species was discovered by Mr. Philpott 
on Mount Cleughearn, Hunter Mountains, at an elevation 
of about 2,700 feet above the sea-level. 
The expansion of the wings is 2 inch. The fore-wings are 
cream-coloured with conspicuous black and yellowish-brown 
markings; there is a small black basal patch, considerably ex- 
tended on the costa and slightly so on the dorsum; two small 
black spots in the dise before the middle; a large triangular 
black mark on the costa beyond the middle with a large white 
centred black spot near its apex and a curved black sub-terminal 
band broadest on the costa; there is a large yellowish-brown 
blotch in the dise beyond the middle and an irregular terminal 
band of the same colour, the cilia are pale yellowish-brown mixed 
with blackish. The hind-wings are dark greyish-brown. The 
head and palpi are yellowish; the thorax purplish-grey and the 
abdomen dark yellowish-brown. 
The perfect insect appears in January, and may be 
looked for in beech forests on mountains in the far south. 
Described and figured from a specimen in Mr. Phil- 
pott’s collection. 
TRACHYPHEPLA EURYLEUCOTA. 
(Trachypepla euryleucota, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvi., 14.) 
(Plate XXXI., fig. 10 @.) 
This very striking little insect has occurred at Kaeo, 
Auckland, Cambridge, Raurimu, Wellington, Dunedin and 
Invereargill. Although not very common it is probably 
generally distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over 3 inch. The 
fore-wings are elongate, very dark glossy purplish-brown sparsely 
speckled with paler brown; there is a large, creamy-wihite basal 
patch with a small purplish-brown mark at the extreme base of 
the costa; there are two oval patches of raised scales in the 
disc before and beyond the middle; a wavy, pale bluish-white 
band from the costa before the apex to about the middle of the 
termen, very broad on the costa and very narrow towards the 
termen. The hind-wings are brownish-grey. The head, palpi, 
and extreme anterior margin of the thorax are dark purplish- 
brown; the thorax cream-coloured and the abdomen dull orange- 
brown tipped with dark brown. 
There is slight variation in the depth of the ground 
colour, portions of which, in some specimens, have steely- 
blue reflections. e 
The perfect insect appears in December and January. 
It seems to frequent rather open situations and is usually 
found resting on walls or fences, but is not a common spe- 
cies. When thus at rest its resemblance to a bird-dropping 
is extremely perfect. 
TRACHYPEPLA CONSPICUELLA. 
(Gelechia conspicuella, Walk., Brit. Mus. Cat., xxix., 651; Gele- 
chia taongella, Feld., Reis. Nov., Pl. exl, 45; Trachypepla 
conspicuella, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xvi., 15.) 
(Plate XXXI., fig. 8 9.) 
This rather dull-looking species has occurred at Well- 
ington, Christchurch and Lake Wakatipu. It is very com- 
mon at Wellington. 

