Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 15.djvu/86
in male. Hindwings broader than forewings. Forewings with 12 veins, 7 and 8 separate, 7 to hindmargin. Hindwings with 8 veins, 3 and 4 from a point, 5 approximated to 4 at base, 6 and 7 separate or stalked.
This genus belongs to a group very extensively represented in the northern hemisphere, but practically absent from Australia. The single New Zealand species stands quite alone; I at first erroneously referred it to Cacoecia, which it closely resembles in most respects, but the basal pectination, which I had overlooked, is strongly marked, and I have now no doubt of its true position.
30. Pæd. obliquana, Walk.
(Teras obliquana, Walk., Brit. Mus. Cat., 302; Teras spurcatana, ibid., 305, (Cacoecia) Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 1881, 487; Sciaphila transtrigana, Walk., Brit. Mus. Cat., 354; Sciaphila turbulentana, ibid., 355; Teras cuneiferana, ibid., Suppl., 1780; Tortrix ropeana, Feld., Reis. Nov., pl. CXXXVII., 45; Tortrix herana, ibid., 52; ? Teras congestana, Walk., Brit. Mus. Cat., 308.)
Media, alis ant. griseo-ochreis albidisve, fusco-strigulatis vel suffusis, linea angulata prope basim, fasciæ obliquæ marginibus ac parte superiore, macula costæ alteraque marginis postici saturate fuscis; post. griseo-albidis.
Male, female.—16–22 mm. Head and thorax pale ochreous or almost whitish, often suffused with fuscous; palpi elongate. Forewings moderately broad, in male posteriorly dilated, costa moderately arched, hindmargin sinuate, not oblique; pale greyish-ochreous or sometimes whitish, generally strigulated, and more or less irregularly suffused with fuscous or dark fuscous, sometimes wholly fuscous; costa shortly strigulated with dark fuscous; markings fuscous or dark fuscous, darkest in the paler specimens, nearly obsolete in the darker; outer edge of basal patch indicated by a darker line, sharply angulated above middle, lower ⅔ in male thick, generally conspicuously blackish-fuscous; central fascia from before middle of costa to before anal angle, costal third generally conspicuously darker fuscous or blackish-fuscous, moderate in male, very narrow in female, lower two-thirds strongly dilated, not darker than ground-colour except on edges, anterior edge more distinct, very irregular, posterior edge angulated near inner margin; a very ill-defined triangular costal spot about ¾, and a small spot towards middle of hindmargin, often connected by an oblique strigula; the large triangular space between basal patch and central fascia in male often conspicuously paler than rest of wing: cilia whitish-ochreous, with a fuscousgrey basal line. Hindwings grey-whitish or light grey, spotted with grey; cilia whitish, with two grey lines.
An exceedingly variable species, but always dull-coloured; some varieties of the female in colour and form approach the female of Cacoecia excessana, and are only separated with ease by the family characters.