Olyca Walker

Thomas J. Simonsen and Richard L. Brown

Last updated: Dec.15, 2009

Taxonomic Synonymy
Olyca Walker, 1857, List Spec. Lepid. Insect Coll. Brit. Mus., 11: 725.
Type species: Olyca phryganoides Walker, 1857. By monotypy.

Diagnostic Characters
Adult
Olyca can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: 1) Proboscis somewhat reduced, 2) antenna of the male slightly serrate, 3) maxillary palpus fan-shaped, 4) forewing M2 and M3 sharing a common stem, but separate for more than half their length 5) Female ostium bursae with a pronounced lamella antevaginalis (Heinrich 1939; 1956, figs 71, 1020).

Larva
According to Heinrich (1939, 1956) the larvae are without bands or spots.

Larval Hosts
The larvae are stem feeders in Platyopuntia and Consolea. (Heinrich 1956; Mann 1969).

Life History
Eggs unknown. The larvae are solitary (Heinrich 1939; Mann 1969).

Distribution
Olyca is known only from Hispaniola in the Caribbean (Heinrich 1939, 1956; Mann 1969).

Species
phryganoides