Oiketicoides maroccensis, Sobczyk & Arnscheid, 2021

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 : 498-499

Oiketicoides maroccensis sp. nov.

( Figs 14 , 24 , 50 , 63 )

Type material. Holotype: • ♂, MOROCCO: Hoher Atlas, Ait Tamlil , 20.viii.2009, leg. R. Bläsius ( MWM).

Paratypes: • 11 ♂♂, same data like holotype; • 7 ♂♂, Hoher Atlas, Toufrine, 7 km S, 13.ix.2013, leg. Bläsius; • 8 ♂♂, Hoher Atlas, Ait Tamlil vic., Taglest, 1700 m, 12.viii.2013, leg. Bläsius; • 2 ♂ ♂, Hoher Atlas, Tachdirt, 13–14.viii.2009, leg. Bläsius; • 1 ♂, Ait Ali n’ Ito, 1850 m, 10 km östl. Toufrine, 21.vii.2019, leg. R. Bläsius; • 2 ♂♂, Hoher Atlas, S Demnate, Tizi-n-Outfi, 1900 m, 18.viii.2009, leg. Bläsius ( CTS); • 1 ♂, Marrakesch, Tensift-Al Haouz, Ait Tamlil, Taglest, 1700 m, LF, 14.viii.2013, leg. A. Werno (coll. A. Werno); • 4 ♂♂, Marrakesch, Tensift-Al Haouz, 7 km S Toufrine, 2100 m, LF, 13.viii.2013, leg. A. Werno (coll. A. Werno).

Etymology. The species is named after its country of origin: Morocco.

Description. ♂ Medium-sized Oiketicoides species with finely scaled wings. Wingspan 21.5–24.5 mm, body length 11.0–12.0 mm, forewing length 10.0–11.0 mm, FI: 2.0, Scapus and pedicellus covered with long straw-coloured scales.

Head. Antennae length 5.0 mm. Head. Antennae with 35–39 segments, light brown, densely scaled. Pecten dark brown. Longest pecten of twelvefold length of antennal segment. Head densely covered with long hair-like straw coloured scales. Vertex covered with long dark grey hair-like scales, medially underlaid with distinctly shorter straw coloured scales, eyes medium in size, black-grey, EI: 0.75–1.0.

Thorax. Densely covered with long light brown hair-like scales. Legs covered with darker brown scales. Thorax long dark greyish-brown hairy. Wings are elongated, termen mostly oblique, venation with r3+r4 and m2+m3 one third length stalked. Hindwing venation m1+m2 stalked to a third length, sc and rr fused and a short section connected to distal part of anterior margin of the dc. Wings are dense and evenly covered with dark greyish brown narrow scales, rarely double-pointed, fringes spatulate, predominantly with 2–4 dentations ( Fig. 24 ).

Abdomen. Dorsally and ventrally densely covered with long brown hair-like scales.

Male genitalia. (GU 016-2020, 43-2020, Sobczyk) Total length 2.5–2.7 mm, 0.7 mm wide. When closed, the valvae reach approximately the distal end of the tegumen, which is pointed and laterally on both sides clearly folded inwards. Valvae broad, sacculus distally rounded, covered with 5–10 short pointed spines. Vinculum narrow, medially with short extensions, saccus short, distally hardly widened and rounded. Phallus length ca. 2.0 mm, elongated tubular, almost straight, distally widened with a distinct hook-shaped projection ( Figs 50 , 63 ).

Distribution. Only known from the High Atlas in Morocco.

Diagnosis. Differs from the quite similar O. maghrebensis sp. nov. by its darker greyish brown colour. The scales of O. maghrebensis sp. nov. are two-pointed (classes 1–2), rarely single-pointed (class 2) and the fringes are very narrowly lanceolate, predominantly with 2 dentations. The scales of O. maroccensis sp. nov. are narrow, rarely double-pointed, the fringes spatulate and predominantly with 2–4 dentations. The male genitalia of O. maghrebensis sp. nov. show only 5–6 spines on the sacculus whereas the sacculus of O. maroccensis sp. nov. has 5–10. It is also distinguished from O. chottella by the darker groundcolour and the higher EI (0.67–0.71 in O. chottella ). The scales of O. chottella are distally undulated or notched (classes 2–3), scattered scales one-pointed and the fringes narrowly lanceolate and multi-pointed whereas the scales of O. maroccensis sp. nov. are narrow, rarely double-pointed and the fringes spatulate and predominantly with 2–4 dentations. Slightly similar is also O. pseudochottella sp. nov. The species is distinctly lighter brown scaled and the front edge of forewings is clearly darker brown. Scales spatulate, distally undulated or notched (classes 2–3), fringes narrowly lanceolate, multi-pointed. The vinculum of O. pseudochottella sp. nov. is mediolaterally bulging and the saccus short, distal drop-shaped.

Variation. One specimenfrom Ait Tamlil (20.viii.2009, leg. R. Bläsius) isstrikingbecause of its differentshape of scales. It shows long oval scales and scales with a distal notch are only occasionally present. Moreover, it has a lower eye index (0.65). Further characteristics are consistent with O. maroccensis sp. nov. Because of the differences mentioned this specimen is not included in the type series.

Figures

FIGURES 7–14. 7. Oiketicoides chottella (Lucas, 1934) ♂, Tunisia, centr., WNW Kasserine, NP Jebel Chambi, 1150–1500 m, N 35°06‘ E 08°43‘, LF, 26.VII.2006, leg. L. Lehmann & T. Lange (CWA). 8. Oiketicoides hurei (Lucas, 1934), Morocco, M-Atlas, Zedern forest, Umg. Ifrane, 1750 m, 23.vii.–1.viii.1988, leg. Pavlas (MWM). 9. Oiketicoides atlanticum sp. nov., holotype ♂, Morocco occ. Sidi Bouk–nadel–Tankstelle, zw. Kenitra und Rabat, 50 m, 15.x.2004, leg. L. Lehmann (barcoding Psy-0147–Sobczyk) (CTS). 10. Oiketicoides pseudochottella sp. nov., holotype ♂, Tunisia, Siliana Gov. Maktar, 35°51’38’’ N 06°12’21’’ E, 30.vii.1993, leg. Hoppe (CTS). 11. Oiketicoides numidicum sp. nov., holotype ♂, Tunisia, Bou Hebma, iii.1929, Dr. H. Bytinski-Salz, Slg. Daniel, GU 4068 Arnscheid (MWM). 12. Oiketicoides maghrebensis sp. nov., holotype ♂, Morocco, High Atlas, Oukeïmeden, NW slopes, 2000–2300 m, 11.-20.viii.2012, leg. G. Müller, L. Ronkay (MWM). 13. Oiketicoides imazigheni sp. nov., holotype ♂, Morocco, High Atlas, Toubkal Massiv, Oukeïmeden, 2400–2800 m, 24.vii.1988, leg. G. Behounek (MWM). 14. Oiketicoides maroccensis sp. nov., holotype ♂, Morocco, Hoher Atlas, Ait Tamlil, 20.viii.2009, leg. R. Bläsius (CTS).

FIGURES 19–30. Forewing scales and fringes of North African Oiketicoides-♂♂. 19. Oiketicoides gracilis. 20. Oiketicoides algeriensis. 21. Oiketicoides nivellei. 22. Oiketicoides oberthueri. 23. Oiketicoides albomaculatus. 24. Oiketicoides maroccensis. 25. Oiketicoides atlanticum. 26. Oiketicoides lefevrei. 27. Oiketicoides chottella. 28. Oiketicoides maghrebensis. 29. Oiketicoides imazigheni. 30. Oiketicoides pseudochottella.

FIGURES 45–50. Valvae of North African Oiketicoides-♂♂. 45. Oiketicoides pseudochottella. 46. Oiketicoides hurei. 47. Oiketicoides numidicum. 48. Oiketicoides lambessa. 49. Oiketicoides hampsoni 50. Oiketicoides maroccensis.

FIGURES 51–66. Saccus of North African Oiketicoides-♂♂. 51. Oiketicoides gracilis. 52. Oiketicoides oberthueri. 53. Oiketicoides albomaculatus. 54. Oiketicoides algeriensis. 55. Oiketicoides nivellei. 56. Oiketicoides pseudochottella. 57. Oiketicoides atlanticum. 58. Oiketicoides numidicum. 59. Oiketicoides imazigheni. 60. Oiketicoides maghrebensis. 61. Oiketicoides chottella. 62. Oiketicoides lefevrei. 63. Oiketicoides maroccensis. 64. Oiketicoides hurei. 65. Oiketicoides hampsoni. 66. Oiketicoides lambessa.