

346 XVII —THE 
TINEA ABTHERBEA, 
(Tinea aethereda, Clarke, Trans. N.Z. Inst., lvi., 421.) 
(Plate LIl., fig. 18 @.) 
This very interesting species was discovered by Mr. 
C. HE. Clarke at Arthur’s Pass. 
The expansion of the wings is nearly 4 inch. The fore- 
wings are elongate-elliptical, with the termen very obliquely 
rounded; pdle greyish-white with blackish markings; a narrow 
margin on costa at base; an anvil-shaped mark on dorsum near 
base; a series_of small irregular marks along fold; a curved, 
rapidly tapering bar on costa at 4+, and a similar, but larger 
marking, at about #; four black costal bars with white inter- 
spaces beyond this; a circular black apical patch, followed by 
two minute white marks on termen; «a fine black marginal line 
thence to tornus; a small tornal blotch; on apical third the 
ground colour of the wing has strong golden-brown reflections, 
and there are a few very dull purplish-blue scales scattered over 
the basal area; the cilia are grey with white bars opposite the 
white markings on the outer third of wing. The hind-wings are 
ochreous-grey with very faint purplish reflections; the cilia are 
grey. The head is whitish; the thorax grey; the abdomen black- 
ish-grey with paler anal tuft. 
This species seems closely allied to Tinea astraea and 
T. cymodoce, but quite distinct from either. It belongs to 
that remarkable section of the genus which have the mark- 
ings imitative of a typical Glyphipteryz. 
The perfect insect appears in January. 
Described and figured from a slightly damaged speci- 
men kindly submitted by Mr. Chas. E. Clarke. 
TINEA ARGODELTA. 
(Tinea argodelta, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlvii., 204.) 
(Plate XXXVII., fig. 9.) 
This very distinctly-marked little insect was discoy- 
ered by Mr. Philpott at Invercargill. A single specimen 
has also oceurred at Wellington. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly under 3 inch. The 
fore-wings are rather broad with the apex rounded and the 
termen oblique; dull purplish tinged with dull red in the dise 
and thickly speckled with black; there is a large semi-circular 
white spot on the dorsum near the middle; three rather. large 
white dots at the tornus and several smaller dots at the apex; 
there are three series of fine white lines on the costa, the first 
at the base, the second near the middle and the third beyond 
the middle; all the white markings are more or less distinctly 
bordered with black. The hind-wings are deep brownish-purple. 
The perfect insect appears from December till Febru- 
It is a very rare species. 
Deseribed and figured from a specimen in Mr. Phil- 
pott’s collection. 
ary. 
TINEA DICHARACTA. 
(Tinea dicharacta, Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 1892, 536; 
Trans. N.Z. Inst., xliii., 78.) 
(Plate XXXVII., fig. 8 9.) 
Three specimens of this extremely rare little species 
have been taken at Wellington and others at Dunedin. 
The expansion of the wings is nearly 2 inch. The head is 
bright ochreous, the thorax and abdomen being dark purplish- 
brown. The fore-wings are purplish-brown with four irregular, 
broken purplish-black transverse bands, clearest on the costa 
and dorsum; there is a cloudy whitish patch on the dorsum and 
numerous irregular pale dots, especially near the edges of the 
transverse bands. The hind-wings are purplish-grey. 
TINEIDAE. 
The perfect insect appears in November and Decem- 
ber. It seems to frequent houses and may possibly be 
semi-domestic in its habits. The original description was 
taken from a unique specimen captured by Mr. Meyrick 
at Sydney. Mr. Charles E. Clarke has met with it resting 
on the bark of manuka trees. 
TINHA FUSCIPUNCTELLA. 
(Tinea fuscipunctella, Haw., Lep. Brit. 562; Meyr., Trans. 
IN-Z.) Inst., <x., 200%) 
(Plate XL., fig. 4 @.) 
This well-known domestic insect is common and gen- 
erally distributed throughout the country. 
The expansion of the wings is about ~ inch. The fore- 
wings are rather narrow with the apex round and the termen 
extremely oblique; pale ochreous with dusky-brown markings; 
there is a small patch at the base, a streak on the fold, one spot 
in the disc before the middle and one beyond the middle; the 
whole wing is also thinly strewn with scattered dusky-brown 
seales; there are three spots on the costa before the apex and 
a series on the termen. The hind-wings are pale ochreous. 
The larva feeds on dry refuse. 
The perfect insect appears from October till April. It 
has been artificially introduced, being a domestic species. 
It is also common in Europe, Africa, North America and 
Australia. 
TINEA MOCHLOTA. 
(Tinea mochlota, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xx., 100.) 
(Plate XXXIX., fig. 14 @.) 
This distinetly-marked little species has occurred at 
Christchurch, Dunedin, Wyndham, Lake Wakatipu and 
Invercargill, but is not by any means a common insect. 
The expansion of the wings is slightly over ~ inch. The 
fore-wings are dull ochreous-brown speckled with darker brown; 
there is a very oblique choudy black blotch across the middle of 
the disc, a small black spot beyond the middle and a large irre- 
gular blackish-brown shading on the termen; the cilia are dull 
reddish-ochreous, with very broad blackish-brown bars at the 
apex and tornus. The hind-wings and cilia are dark ochreous- 
grey, with very slight purplish reflections. 
The perfect insect appears in December and January, 
and is found in forest. 
Deseribed and figured from a specimen in Mr, Phil- 
pott’s collection. 
TINEA CONFERTA. 
(Tinea conferta, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlvi., 115.) 
(Plate XXXIX., fig. 138 @.) 
This dull-looking species has occurred at Wellington 
and at the Otira River. 
The expansion of the wings is about 4 inch. The fore- 
wings are elongate-ovate with the cilia around the tornus con- 
siderably expanded; dull orange-brown thickly speckled with dull 
brown scales, especially on the costal area; there are three ob- 
secure blackish discal spots, two on the fold and one near the 
middle of the wing. The hind-wings are blackish-brown with 
very strong purplish reflections. 
The larva feeds in the dead branches of Aristotelia 
racemosa, and probably other trees, during the winter and 
early spring. 






































































