XVIT.—_THE 
The perfect insect appears in December and is found 
on open mountain country. 
I am much indebted to Mr. C. E. Clarke for the loan 
of a very perfect specimen of this species, from which I 
have been enabled to prepare the figure and description 
here given. 
TALEPORIA CAWTHRONELLA. 
(Taleporia cawthronella, Philp., Trans., N.Z. Inst., liii., 341.) 
(Plate XLVIIL., fig. 9 4.) 
This very distinctly-marked little species was discov- 
ered by Mr. Philpott, in the Maitai Valley at Nelson, to 
whom I am indebted for specimens and all information. 
The expansion of the wings is Slightly over $ inch. The 
fore-wings are very pale shining ochreous with blackish mark- 
ings; there are two elongate bars on the basal half of the costa 
and four almost round spots ion the apical half, a series of very 
indistinct blackish marks along the termen and one larger and 
more distinct mark near the middle of the dorsum; there is a 
cloudy blotch in the disc beyond the middle and the whole wing 
is very thinly sprinkled with greyish scales. The hind-wings 
are pale grey. 
The larva inhabits a case constructed of the fragments 
of a species of white lichen. The case is irregularly pyri- 
form in shape, rough on the surface, and, when containing 
a full-grown larva, about 4+ inch long by about 4 inch 
broad. It is a rather fragile shelter, being easily pulled 
to pieces. In travelling, the head and thorax are projected 
from the cage, and when a foothold is secured the case is 
lifted clear of the surface and drawn forward. Should the 
ease catch on a projection an extra high lift is given to 
elear the cbstacle. The larvae began to pupate about the 
end of June, the first moth appeared on the 3rd August, 
and emerging continued till the middle of October. When 
preparing for pupation the larva attaches the apex of its 
ease to the surface of a stone or the stem or leaf of some 
plant. The attachment is not rigid, but permits the case 
to swing in all directions. The head of the pupa is well 
separated from the thorax, and the legs reach quite to the 
extremity of the abdomen. On the dorsal surface of the 
last abdominal segment there is a transverse row of stout 
recurved spines; these probably serve to keep the pupa 
from slipping from the case when the emergence of the 
imago is taking place. 
TALEPORIA MICROPHANHS. 
(Mallobathra micnophanes, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xx., 103.) 
(Plate XXXVIIL., fig. 10 @, Plate III, fig. 12 larva in case.) 
This very small species has occurred at Wellington, 
Christchurch, Dunedin, Ida Valley, Central Otago and 
Lake Wakatipu. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is about 2 inch. 
The fore-wings are narrow with the costa straight, the apex 
rounded and the termen very obliquely rounded; dark greyish- 
black with very vivid purple reflections, especially in fresh speci- 
mens; there are three oblong golden-yellow spots on the costa 
and a series of much smaller marginal spots along the termen 
and dorsum as well as a few scattered spots in the disc. The 
hind-wings are pale grey. The female is completely apterous 
and closely resembles that of 8. conisalia. It is furnished with 
TINEIDAE. 351 
a tuft of hairlike scales at the end of the body which is, no 
doubt, used for covering the eggs. 
The larva constructs a conical-shaped moveable case of 
grey lichen, living therein during the summer and autumn, 
and feeding on the minute grey lichens growing on the 
trunks of trees in the forest. When the larva is resting 
the end of the case is firmly attached to the tree trunk 
by silken threads and in this position it is most ineon- 
spicuous. 
The perfect insect has been bred from the eases in 
July.and August. It has been captured in August and 
November, and is most likely about during the late winter 
and very early spring, but owing to its small size and dark 
eolouring is, no doubt, often overlooked. 
Genus 21—MALLOBATHRA, Meyr. 
Head loosely haired. Labial palpi moderate or short, por- 
rected. Maxillary palpi obsolete. Fore-wings, with 6 seldom 
absent, 7 to termen, 7 and 8 stalked. Hind-wings elongate-ovate, 
6 sometimes stalked with 7 or absent. Female winged. (Plate 
K., figs. 34, 35, 86 neuration and head of Mallobathra homalopa.) 
This genus comprises a number of day-flying moths, 
generally of obscure coloration, with hair-like seales at- 
tached loosely to the wings which are thus especially liable 
to become abraded. The accurate specific determination of 
indifferent specimens is a most difficult matter, and future 
progress will probably be chiefly attained by breeding the 
insects from the extremely interesting and varied cases 
constructed by the larvae. Although the perfect insects are 
in themselves unattractive, the general interest of their 
habits, and especially the constructive skill of their larvae 
in making movable protective habitations, offer ample com- 
pensations to the student for the lack of striking characters 
exhibited by the imago. 
We have ten species belonging to this endemic genus, 
of which two are restricted to the North Island, five to 
the South Island, and three occur in both islands. 
MALLOBATHRA ARANEHOSA., 
(Mallobathra araneosa, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlvi., 117.) 
(Plate XXXIX., fig. 6.) 
This extremely fragile-looking species was discovered 
by Mr. Philpott on The Hump, Southland, at an altitude 
of about 3,000 feet above the' sea-level. It has also occurred 
at Dunedin, on Ben Lomond Lake Wakatipu, and on 
Longwood Range and the Hunter Mountains. 
The expansion of the wings is considerably under 2 inch. 
The fore-wings are elongate, narrow with the apex round-pointed 
and the termen very oblique; very pale bnownish-ochreous; the 
basal third is faintly clouded with pale grey and there are two 
series of faint grey spots crossing the outer portion of the wing; 
the principal veins are also marked in grey. The hind-wings 
and cilia are very pale whitish-grey. 
The perfect insect appears in February and is found 
on the edges of beech forests (Nothofagus). It may be 
easily recognised by its semi-transparent and extremely 
attenuated appearance, 

