Oiketicoides Heylaerts, 1881

Sobczyk, Thomas & Arnscheid, Wilfried R., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the North-African species of the genus Oiketicoides Heylaerts, 1881 (Lepidoptera: Psychidae: Oiketicinae), Zootaxa 4975 (3), pp. 483-508 : 485

Genus Oiketicoides Heylaerts, 1881

Type species: Psyche inquinata Lederer, 1858

= Amictoides Gerasimov, 1937 (a junior homonym to Amictoides Bezzi, 1910 (Diptera) and a subjective junior synonym of Oiketicoides Heylaerts, 1881 .

Type species of Amictoides Gerasimov, 1937 : Psyche febretta Boyer de Fonscolombe 1835 .

Oiketicoides was established as a subgenus of Acanthopsyche Heylaerts, 1881 without fixing a type species. Originally, this subgenus includes the following four taxa: Kotochalia doubledayi Westwood 1854 , from Sri Lanka, Psyche inquinata Lederer 1858 , Acanthopsyche atra ( Linnaeus, 1767) , and Acanthopsyche zelleri ( Mann, 1855) . Psyche inquinata Lederer, 1858 , became type species of the genus Oiketicoides when it was mentioned by Hampson (1893) ( Dierl 1968). Originally, the characteristics given are the decreasing length of the antennal pecten towards the antennal tip, a very long tibial epiphysis on foreleg, and 11 veins on the forewing and 7 veins on the hindwing. Lederer (1858) described Psyche inquinata also bearing 11 veins on forewing and 7 veins on hindwing (9 veins from dc on forewing and 5 veins from dc on hindwing) but this is a mistake. In fact P. inquinata is the only one of the four mentioned species originally included in Acanthopsych e that deviates from the venation described: it shows one supplementary vein each on the forewing and hindwing. This is essential for the current understanding of the genus Oiketicoides . Due to the external morphologic similarities several species of Oiketicoides were described originally in the genus Amicta Heylaerts, 1881 which was also established as subgenus of Acanthopsyche . Beside the above mentioned difference in the wing venation Gerasimov (1937) found on the basis of chaetotaxistic differences of the caterpillars Amicta a very heterogeneous genus. Therefore, he separated two clearly distinguished groups of species, of which one is characterised by 8 setae on the anal shield of the caterpillars, whereas the other group has only 6. For this group he created the genus Amictoides , which is a junior synonym of Oiketicoides . Beside venation and chaetotaxistic differences in their caterpillars Oiketicoides is particularly characterised above all by their unique shape of the male genitalia. Amicta and Acanthopsyche show in general appearance compact genitalia with more or less trapezoid or rectangular tegumen with elongated valvae and short saccus. The genitalia of Oiketicoides figuratively speaking recall an inverted shark. The tegumen is hemispherical, the valvae very short ovoid and the saccus is extremely elongated. This feature is very consistent within the whole genus.

Supplementary description of the genus Oiketicoides . Male. Head. Antennae scapus thickened, pedicellus disc-shaped, antennal pecten densely scaled dorsally, ventrally ciliated. The antennae are bipectinate without scales, long ventrally ciliated, decreasing evenly in length towards the apex. Head densely covered with long, hair-like scales.

Thorax. Legs long and hairy. Foreleg with a long and narrow tibial epiphysis (EI: 0.85–0.95). Tibia of the mid- and hindlegs with tiny spurs distally. Forewings elongated, venation with 10 veins from dc, r3+r4 and m2+m3 mostly short stalked. Dc with a simple mediastam (rarely divided). On hindwing m1+m2 are mostly short stalked, mediastam unforked (rarely divided), sc and rr fused and mostly connected to the dc by a bar.

Abdomen. Male genitalia elongated. When closed, valvae reach approximately to posterior end of tegumen; tegumen rounded or tent-like tapered, valvae narrow, sacculus narrower distally, rounded, with several spines of different length. Vinculum narrow, broader in several species, mediolaterally with short extensions, saccus short and broad or slender and elongated, distally somewhat widened and rounded. Phallus tubular, widened distally.

Female. Apterous, larviform and wingless. Antennae absent or indicated as tiny bumps. Instead of the eyes mostly small pigment spots are present. The legs are reduced to two segments and bear a pair of claws distally. After the mating procedure the females lay their eggs directly into the larval case. Female genital hardly sclerotized, distally covered with numerous short spines. Opening of the bursa copulatrix semicircular, posterior apophyses reduced, anterior vaginal plate Y-shaped.

The females of most species are unknown and no diagnostic features for species delimitation are available.

Biology. The early stages are unknown in most species. The larval cases are generally built of silk and they are covered longitudinally with fragments of twigs and leaves, sometimes also with small pebbles or fragments of snail shells. The caterpillars are polyphagous and feed on different herbs and grass. Oiketicoides species are distributed in xerothermic habitats like rocky slopes, semi-deserts or steppes with scarce vegetation. The pupation takes place on the ground, mostly the larval cases are dig in a little bit, or they may also be rarely attached to rocks or boulders. The females remain in their pupal shell in the larval cases and in this manner mating takes place. The males fly mostly by night (except the day-flyers O. febretta , O. lambessa and probably O. oberthueri ) and are attracted by artificial light. The Oiketicoides species of North Africa are morphologically in their general appearance quite similar to the North African species of the genus Amicta Heylaerts, 1881 , which are syntopic in several areas and also attracted by light. They differ by the veins cup and A1+A2 on forewing which run separately, whereas in Oiketicoides these veins join and run together to the edge.