Hyposmocoma inversella Walsingham, 1907

Kawahara, Akito Y. & Rubinoff, Daniel, 2012, Three new species of Fancy Case caterpillars from threatened forests of Hawaii (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Hyposmocoma), ZooKeys 170, pp. 1-20 : 5-7

Hyposmocoma inversella Walsingham, 1907 Figs 217

Diagnosis.

This species has a large, orange, “V” -shaped marking on the forewing found in no other described species of Hyposmocoma .

Re-description.

Male. (n = 1; Fig 2). Forewing length 4.9 mm.Head with copper-colored scales arranged radially from compound eye. Haustellum with light brown scales. Maxillary palpus reduced. Labial palpus curved with copper colored scales, scale color similar on all surfaces of palpus. Antenna brown with a mosaic of copper scales. Thorax mostly copper; dark brown scales present along anterior margin. Foreleg coxa with brown and copper scales; femur, tibia, and tarsomeres mostly dark brown with light brown ring at distal margin of femur, tibia, and tarsomeres I-V. Midleg as foreleg, but spurs covered in a mixture of dark and light-brown scales. Hindleg as midleg, but longer with long hairs on dorsal margin of tibia. Forewing brown, two transverse orange fascia form a “V”. Proximal orange band widens along anal margin, distal band uniform in width. Fringe orange and brown, longer scales tending to be brown, shorter ones orange. Hindwing brown with brown fringe. Abdomen dorsally dark brown; ventrally copper, with tuft of long dark brown scales covering lateral surface of genitalia.

Male genitalia. Right brachium of uncus sickle shaped, slender, heavily sclerotized, widening at 1/2 length, slightly twisted to left. Left brachium small, not sclerotized. Tegumen wide and sclerotized. Four long thin setae along dorsal margin of left valva, three shorter setae at same location of right valva. Left valva slightly wider than right. Dense row of fine, hair-like setae disposed along inner ventral margin of valva. Phallus stout, blunt tipped, heavily sclerotized, open ventrally, and bent ventrad at about 1/2 of length; vesica without spines or cornuti. Anellus with two symmetrical rounded lobes with short setae.

Female. (n = 1). Externally as male, forewing length 4.7 mm.

Female genitalia. (Fig 17). Papillae anales short and setose. Anterior and posterior apophyses slender, long, anterior apophyses slightly longer than posterior apophyses. Ostium bursae small, heavily sclerotized, externally protruding, roughly triangular, not snail-shaped. Corpus bursae oval and elongate, with very light scobination; signum absent. Ductus bursae long and narrow, slightly twisted, about equal in length of corpus bursae. Apical margin of tergum VIII with median emargination.

Larval case. (n = 2).Dark brown, smooth, 7.8-8.5 mm in length and 1.8-2 mm wide. The larval case is very similar to that of Hyposmocoma auropurpurea . Though both species are found in the Waianae Mountains, adult morphology and DNA sequence confirms these are distinct species.

Material examined.

(1♂, 2♀). 1♂: HI: Oahu, Waianae Range, Palikea Trail, “purse” case, 15-I-2009, emergence. 16-III-2009, #DR09A3I, coll. P. Schmitz, D. Rubinoff, W. Haines, J. Eiben. Specimen in perfect condition. Male genitalia slide #AK100. 1♀: same data as male. Female genitalia slide #AK101. 1♀: HI: Oahu, Pahole NAR. Northern Waianae Mts. Elev. 500 m, on Pipturus albidus ( Urticaceae ). 14-XII-2010, #DR10L1C, em. 24-III-2011, coll. P. Krushelnycky. Additional voucher collection #AR0803, spec/lot #PKSP11751. Molecular ID: AK-259-11. All specimens from the UHIM.

Specimens sequenced.

Two specimens from Oahu, Hawaii, USA (UH log number DR09A3I), extraction codes DN1314A, DN1314B.

Biology.

Case-making larvae were collected in the Waianae Mountains of Oahu on the Palikea Trail during December and January. Larvae were found in leaf litter and on rotting logs. Adult emergence occurred between March and April. Because we have collected fairly extensively in the Waianae Mountains, we predict that this species univoltine, with larvae active during the winter months and adults emerging in the spring.

Distribution.

Known only from the Waianae Mountain Range, Oahu.