XVIT—THE 
The perfect insect appears from about the middle of 
September until the middle of October. The male flies very 
rapidly, in hot sunshine, often winging his way over the 
tops of the bushes, and several individuals may frequently 
be seen thus engaged at the same time. The female is much 
more sluggish and must be specially searched for on the 
bushes, around which the males are noticed to be the most 
numerous. Freshly-emerged specimens of this sex are fur- 
nished with a large anal tuft of hair-like scales. These 
scales are very easily detached, being used by the female 
as a covering for her eggs when they are first deposited. 
This species is usually one of the first insects to greet the 
collector in the early spring. 
MALLOBATHRA SCORIOTA. 
(Mallobathra scoriota, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xli., 16.) 
This species has occurred at Wellington and at Inver. 
eargill. 
The expansion of the wings is about 4 inch. The fore-wings 
are elongate with the costa gently arched, apex obtuse, termen 
very obliquely rounded; vein 6 present; whitish-brown, strewn 
with cloudy dark brown strigulae; a moderately broad, slightly 
oblique dark brown median band; a cloudy dark brown spot on 
costa at #; the confluence of the strigulae tends to form suf- 
fused spots in disc towards apex, and along termen; cilia whit- 
ish-brown, with dark brown ante-median shade and indistinct 
bars on basal third. Hind-wings with vein 6 present; grey; cilia 
grey. 
I am unable to identify this species. The above is 
taken from the original description. 
MALLOBATHRA PERISSEUTA. 
(Mallobathra perisseuta, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., lii., 32.) 
(Plate XLVII., fig. 16 9.) 
This species was discovered by Mr. Clarke at Opoho, 
near Dunedin. 
The expansion of the wings is about nine-sixteenths of an 
inch. The fore-wings, which have the iapex rounded and the 
termen oblique, are pale dull ochreous-brown with indistinct 
blackish-brown markings; there is a large spot in the middle 
of the dorsum; two ill-defined discal spots and a series of faint 
streaks across the apical area. The hind-wings are bronzy-brown, 
darker towards the termen, 
Distinguished from all similar species by the very 
rounded outline of the fore-wings. 
The perfect insect appears in October and November, 
and frequents manuka serub. 
Described and figured from specimens kindly given 
to me by Mr. Clarke. 
MALLOBATHRA HOMALOPA. 
(Mallobathra homatopa, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxiii., 100.) 
(Riate Xe xe, fig. 124.) 
This rather dull-looking insect is very common in the 
Wellington District. 
The expansion of the wings of the male is nearly 8 inch; 
of the female 4 inch. The fore-wings are bright bronzy-brown 
with strong coppery reflections; there are numerous small ill- 
defined darker brown spots tending to form transverse lines. The 
hind-wings are dark greyish-brown with strong coppery reflec- 
x 
TINEIDAE. 
Oo 
I | 
(oe) 
tions. In the female the wings are narrower, the darker mark- 
ings more distinct, and the hind-wings greyer, than in the 
male. 
The larva constructs a case, about $ inch long, covered 
with short fragments of dead grass and other litter, ar- 
ranged rather irregularly, but, mostly placed longitudin- 
ally, after the manner of thatch. Three or four much 
longer pieces of grass are often attached to the case and 
this greatly inereases its protective value, rendering its 
detection, as a case, a matter of great difficulty. About 
the end of August, when the larvae are full grown, the 
cases are attached, by their upper end, to the under sur- 
face of logs, particularly those of an irregular shape which 
do not rest evenly on the surface of the ground and allow 
plenty of air space underneath. When thus attached the 
eases look exactly like little tufts of grass sticking to the 
log. They are ofen very abundant, as many as half a dozen 
cases being sometimes found under a single log. 
The perfect insect appears from October till Decem- 
ber. The male flies freely in open glades amongst scrubby 
forest, and is most active in the hot afternoon sunshine. 
The female is, however, very seldom observed and speci- 
mens of this sex are best obtained by collecting the cases 
and hatching them out in captivity. As in M. lapidosa 
and M. crataea, the female is provided with a large anal 
tuft of scales which she uses to cover her eggs when first 
deposited. 
Mr. Philpott informs me that the insect met with in 
Southland is not M. homalopa, but an extremely similar 
species, which he proposes to name and describe later. 
MALLOBATHRA GLOBULOSA. 
(Mallobathra globulosa, Meyr., Trans. N.Z. Inst., xlvi., 117.) 
(Plater xo EXe,, fies 11 4.) 
This interesting species was discovered by Mr. Phil- 
pott near Invercargill. 
The expansion of the wings is 4 inch. The antennae of 
the male have very long ciliations. The fore-wings have the 
costa slightly arched at the base; pale golden ochreous with 
purplish-brown markings; there are two large costal blotches 
at about 4 and 2, the first extending half-way across the wing; 
two similar patches on the dorsum, one near the middle, the 
other just before the tornus; a small discal dot at about { and 
a confluent series of terminal spots. The hind-wings are bronzy- 
grey. 
The perfect insect appears in September, and is found 
amongst undergrowth in pine forests. 
Described and figured from specimens kindly given to 
me by Messrs. Howes and Philpott. 
Genus 22—NARYCIA, Steph. 
Head shortly rough-haired. Antennae 4-2, in male ciliated. 
Labial palpi rather short, loosely scaled. Maxillary palpi obso- 
lete. Fore-wings with veins 7 and 8 stalked or coincident, 7 to 
apex or termen. Hind-wings 1, elongate-ovate 2-7 nearly parallel. 
Largely represented in Australia, and also occurs 
widely in India and Africa. 
The larvae usually feed in portable cases on lichens. 
Only one species is known in New Zealand at present. 

