AMERICAN MOTHS OF THE SUBFAMILY PHYCITINAE 



243 



501. Olycella subumbrella (Dyar) 

 Figure 1019 



Olyca subumhrella Dyar, Ins. Insc. Menstr., vol. 13, p. 14, 1925. 



Olycella nephelepasa (Dyar), Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 30, 

 p. 134, 1928 (in part). 



Olycella subumbrella (Dyar) Heinrich, Proc. U. S Nat. Mus., 

 vol. 86, p. 347, 1939. — Dodd, Biological campaign against 

 prickly-pear, Brisbane, Australia, p. 39, 1940. 



Similar to nephelepasa except that the forewing is less 

 brownish and more grayish. The general color is de- 

 cidedly gray rather than brownish or ocherous. Alar 

 expanse, 40-55 mm. 



Alale genitalia as in nephelepasa and junctolineella. 

 Female genitalia hke those o( junctolineella. The figure 

 shows the extreme variation from typical junctolineella; 

 but the differences in the shape of the sclerotized areas 

 of the collar of the eighth segment and the length of the 

 supporting rods of the collar are not specific. Every 

 intergrade between this and typical junctolineella may 

 be found in each of the species in the genus. 



Type locality: Carlsbad, N. Mex. (type in USNM). 



Food plants: Opuntia (Platypuntia) spp. 



Distribution: Texas, El Paso (Mar.); New Mexico, 

 Carlsbad (Sept.) ; Arizona, Dewey, Eedington, Palmer- 

 lee, Paradise (Cochise County, Mar., Apr., May, June), 

 Douglas (May, Aug.,) Pinal Mts. (Apr.), Haualapai 

 Mts. (May); California, Warner (Sept.), Santa Clara 

 (Apr.); Utah, Dividend (May, June), Stockton (May), 

 Kichfield (M&j) ; Nebraska, Scotts Bluff (June). 



In addition to the above there are before me two 

 specimens from Monclova, Coahuila, M(5xico (E. 

 Mortensen Collection, Sept. 1926), which probably are 

 referable here. One (a male) was in the collection 

 imder junctolineella, the other (a female) under nephele- 

 pasa. The male is in very poor condition but obviously 

 belongs with the female. The latter is in fair shape, 

 and its color is that of typical subumbrella. More 

 material is needed from northern Mexico before we can 

 determine what species inhabits that region. 



In 1928 Dyar sank subumbrella in the synonymy of 

 nephelepasa; but Dodd informs me that the larval 

 habits of the two are quite different. In nephelepasa 

 "the larvae are banded with blue or blue-black and do 

 not keep entrance hole in plant open for discharge of 

 frass," while in subumbrella the larvae have "rather pale 

 purplish bands and maintain the hole open for the dis- 

 charge of frass." These differences in larval habit, 

 coupled with the slight but apparently consistent color 

 differences in the moths seem to warrant the separation 

 of subumbrella from nephelapasa. 



0. subumbrella has one generation a year. 



137. Genus Olyca Walker 



Olyca Walker, List, pt. 11, p. 725, 1857. — Hampson, in Ragonot, 

 Monograph, pt. 2, p. 34, 1901. — Dyar, Proc. Ent. Soc. 

 Washington, vol. 30, p. 133, 1928.— Heinrich, Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., vol. 86, p. 348, 1939. (Type of genus: Olyca 

 phryganoides Walker.) 



Tongue reduced (shorter than in Meliiara). An- 

 tennae pubescent in both sexes (the pubescence longer 



in the male than in the female), slightly serrate in the 

 male. Labial palpus of the male obliquely ascending; 

 of the female porrect and downcui'ved. Maxillary 

 palpus squamous. Hind wing with veins 7 and 8 

 shortly anastomosed beyond cell; 3 and 5 connate (oc- 

 casionally very shortly stalked). Eighth abdominal 

 segment of male simple. 



Male genitalia with apical process of gnathos bifid; 

 harpe with apex evenly rounded; vinculum short; 

 anellus with base of plate narrowly sclerotized, arms 

 moderately long and stout ; aedeagus stout, moderately 

 long, apex armed with many minute, hairlike spines. 



Female genitaha without signum; bursa copulatrix 

 simple except for a few microscopic scobinations ; ductus 

 bursae short; ductus seminalis from bursa somewhat 

 caudad of middle. 



Larvae not banded, solitary in habit, feeding in 

 Platypuntias (presumably in the stems). 



Eggs unknown. 



Olyca is readily separated from other genera of the 

 cactus-feeding Phycitinae having veins 3 and 5 of hind 

 wing connate by having the antennae pubescent in both 

 sexes. 



The male genitalia are similar to those of Olycella, 

 differing only in shght details; the vinculum is slightly 

 shorter, the uncus broader in proportion to its length, 

 the cleft apical process of gnathos smaller, the elements 

 of transtilla longer and straighter. 



The females differ chiefly in that they lack the signum 

 in the bursa and the sclerotized plates in the opening 

 of the ductus bursae. 



The genus as here defined contains only the type 

 species from the West Indies. 



502. Olyca phryganoides Walker 

 Figures 71, 531, 1020 



Olyca phryganoides Walker, List, pt. 11, p. 726, 1857. — Hampson, 

 in Ragonot, Monograph, pt. 2, p. 35, 1901. — Dyar, Proc. 

 Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 30, p. 134, 1928.— Heinrich, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, p. 348, 1939.— Dodd, Bio- 

 logical campaign against prickly-pear, Brisbane, Australia, 

 p. 40, 1940. 



General color (except hind wings) pinldsh white, more 

 or less spotted and suffused with black. Palpi, thorax, 

 and imderside of body heavily dusted and shaded with 

 black. Forewing of male with no distinguishable ante- 

 medial line, the latter being replaced by two more or 

 less transversely extended black spots ; subterminal line 

 only partially and faintly indicated, iiTcgularly dentate ; 

 vein ends marked with blackish dots or dashes; black 

 discal spot large, conspicuous; below the discal dot a 

 more or less extended black smudge. 



On the female about three-fourths of the forewing is 

 suffused with black, the pinkish white color being 

 strongly contrasted and limited to a rather narrow area 

 along the costa, with a triangular projection at the end 

 of the cell ; terminal area and a patch on inner margin 

 opposite discal spot also pale, but duller and less con- 

 trasted than the costal color. Hind wing white with a 

 blackish fuscous shade on terminal margin and a some- 



