"Head densely rough-haired. Ocelli large. Tongue obsolete. Antennæ half the length of the fore-wings or less, in male strongly bi-pectinated to apex. Labial palpi very short, hairy. Thorax densely hairy above and beneath. Abdomen, femora, and tibiæ densely hairy, posterior tibiæ without middle spurs, end spurs extremely short. Fore-wings with vein 1a anastomosing with 1b before middle; 1c (if present) coincident with 1b beyond middle, 7 absent. Hind-wings, with vein 8, connected by bar with upper margin of cell. Female apterous, without legs or developed antennæ.
"A rather small family of universal distribution, but commoner in warm countries. Male imago with thinly scaled wings, without markings; flight strong and swift, sometimes in sunshine. The female is almost wholly helpless; the abdomen is at first greatly distended with eggs, and ultimately shrivels up.
"Ovum oval, smooth. Larva inhabiting a strong portable silken case, covered with fragments of stick or refuse. Pupa within the larval case."—(Meyrick.)
There are two genera in New Zealand closely allied to each other.
1. [Œceticus]. 2. [Orophora].
Genus 1.—ŒCETICUS, Guild.
"Ocelli present. Antennæ ⅓, in male strongly bi-pectinated, much more shortly on apical half. Labial palpi extremely short, rough-haired. Abdomen in male very elongate, roughly hairy. Legs hairy, tibiæ without spurs, posterior tarsi extremely short and stout. Fore-wings with veins 4 and 5 short-stalked, 7 sometimes out of 9, 8 and 9 stalked, forked parting-vein well defined. Hind-wings with veins 4 and 5 stalked, forked parting-vein well defined, 8 connected by bar with cell beyond middle. An additional vein (9) rising from 8 beyond bar, another (10) from 8 before bar, and another (11) from base of costa running into 8 before 10." (See Plate [I]., figs. 30, 31.)
"This generic name was wrongly spelt Oiketicus by its originator and others, for which there is no possible justification. I have corrected it."—(Meyrick.)
Although I have made several examinations of fully denuded wings of Œ. omnivorus, I have been unable to discover any trace of the additional veins mentioned by Mr. Meyrick. The hair-like scales which clothe the wings of this insect are very long and slender, and might easily be mistaken for a short vein, if placed in the requisite position. I am disposed to think that the examination of undenuded specimens has led to the discrepancy between the results.
We have one species.