Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham

Medeiros, Matthew J., 2009, A revision of the endemic Hawaiian genus Thyrocopa (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae: Xyloryctinae), Zootaxa 2202, pp. 1-47 : 35-37

28. Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham

( Figs. 46 , 90 )

Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham, 1907b: 505 , plate 15, fig. 2.

Lectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: 3000’ [914 m]: 1 3 (slide 4157 BMNH), 6 Sep 1893, Perkins

(BMNH), designated by Zimmerman, 1978:figs. 665 & 680 (as “ holotype ”).

Paralectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: 3000’ [914 m]: 1 Ƥ, 6 Sep 1893, Perkins (BMNH). Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham ; Zimmerman, 1978: 990, figs. 665, 680.

Diagnosis: Thyrocopa subahenea can be distinguished from the following species that have a similar range: T. abusa has a median dorsal ridge of the uncus lacking in T. subahenea ; T. alterna has a lighter ground color; T. apikia has cilia only on the ventral side of the flagellomere; T. geminipuncta has a more rust-brown ground color; T. minor has a short signum; and T. epicapna , T. indecora , and T. apatela have a shallowly cleft uncus compared to the deeply cleft apex of the uncus of T. subahenea .

Description: Head: Scales brown or mottled brown and light brown. Antenna ca. 0.6–0.7x forewing length; very dense, extremely short, piliform cilia surround flagellomere of male, female with slightly longer and much less dense piliform cilia. Labial palpus brown or mottled brown and light brown; third segment ca. 0.9–1.0x length of second. Thorax: Brown. Forewing length 8–12 mm; ground color brown; significant variation in pattern but most often with discal area clouded with poorly defined blackish spots in cell; curving poorly defined whitish band through the terminal area; evenly spaced spots on distal half of costa and along termen at the vein endings, though often faint. Hindwing Brown or light brown; fringe brown or light brown. Abdomen: Light brown. Male genitalia ( Fig. 90 ) with apex of uncus deeply cleft; sacculus short, tapering to sharp apex, with scooped-out appearance. Female genitalia typical for genus, signum long.

Food plants: Unknown.

Flight period: Year-round.

Distribution: Molokai, Maui.

Remarks: Very similar to T. usitata , but occurs on Molokai and Maui.

Additional material examined: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: 1 mile N. Puu Kolekole, 4000’ [1219 m]: 1 3 (slide MJM13), 26 Jul 1979, S.L. Montgomery ( BPBM); 3000’ [914 m]: 1 3, 16 Sep 1893, Perkins ( BMNH); Kamakou, Puu Kolekole: 3 3 (slide 07A51), 7 Ƥ (slides 07A35 & 07A41), 21–23 May 2007, M.J. Medeiros & J. Dresel ( BPBM); Molokai FR, Hanalilolilo Tr., 3500’ [1069 m]: 1 Ƥ (slide 31573 BMNH), 1 Aug 1973, K. & E. Sattler ( BMNH); Pepepae Bog Trail, “Kamakou 4:” 1 3 (slide LA29), 6 Jul 2005, D. Rubinoff ( UHIM). Maui: Puu Kukui, 850–900 m: 5 3 (slides MJM3, MJM47 & MJM 48), 5 Ƥ, 9 Oct–30 Mar 1972, J.L. Gressitt ( BPBM); Pu’u Kukui Watershed, Kaluanui Valley, “Banana patch”: 1 3 (slide LA30), 5 Apr 2006, W. Haines ( UHIM).

Figures

FIGURES 46 – 59. Adults of Thyrocopa. 46. T. subahenea, Molokai, forewing = 11 mm; 47. T. usitata, Oahu, forewing = 10 mm; 48. T. vagans, Kauai, forewing = 8 mm; 49. T. viduella (holotype), Kauai, forewing = 17 mm; 50. T. sp. A, Kauai, forewing = 12 mm; 51. T. sp. B, Kauai, forewing = 13 mm; 52. T. sp. C, Kauai, forewing = 12 mm; 53. T. sp. D, Molokai, forewing = 10 mm; 54. T. sp. E, Molokai, forewing = 14 mm; 55. T. kikaelekea, Hawaii Island, male, wings (slide 05 A 45 wings, BPBM); 56. T. kea, Kauai, female, head; 57. T. kea, Kauai, male, aedeagus (slide LA 59 UHIM); 58. T. abusa, Maui, detail showing antennal flagellomere with cilia only on ventral side; 59. T. alterna, Hawaii Island, detail showing antennal flagellomere with cilia surrounding.

FIGURES 90 – 104. Male and female genitalia of Thyrocopa; for figures of male genitalia, lower left box shows detail of uncus, lower right box shows detail of sacculus. 90. T. subahenea, Molokai, male genitalia (slide 07 A 51 BPBM); 91. T. usitata, Oahu, male genitalia (slide 31570 BMNH); 92. T. vagans, Kauai, male genitalia (slide LA 51 UHIM); 93. T. sp. A, Kauai, male genitalia (slide 31577 BMNH); 94. T. sp. B, Kauai, male genitalia (slide 31578 BMNH); 95. T. sp. C, Kauai, male genitalia (slide MJM 44 BPBM); 96. T. sp. D, Molokai, male genitalia (slide 07 A 37 BPBM); 97. T. sp. E, Molokai, male genitalia (slide 07 A 50 BPBM); 98. T. peleana, Oahu, female genitalia (slide Z- 70 - 12 BPBM); 99. T. kikaelekea, Hawaii Island, female, detail showing bursa with long signum (slide 06 A 62 BPBM); 100. T. abusa, Maui, female, detail showing bursa with short signum (slide 06 A 25 BPBM); 101. T. abusa, Maui, female genitalia, detail showing segments VIII – X (slide 06 A 25); 102. T. gigas, Molokai, female genitalia (slide 07 A 36 BPBM); 103. T. megas, Maui, female genitalia (slide 06 B 25 BPBM); 104. T. seminatella, Kauai, female genitalia (slide 31585 BMNH).