Thyrocopa kikaelekea Medeiros

Medeiros, Matthew J., 2008, A new species of flightless, jumping, alpine moth of the genus Thyrocopa from Hawaii (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae: Xyloryctinae), Zootaxa 1830, pp. 57-62 : 58-59

Thyrocopa kikaelekea Medeiros , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3, 7–12)

Diagnosis. T. kikaelekea ( Figs. 11–12) is similar to T. apatela in outward appearance and behavior but the wings are less strongly reduced and the male sacculus in T. kikaelekea ( Figs. 2, 7) is longer and narrower (compare with T. apatela , Fig. 4). T. kikaelekea has very similar male genitalia to T. epicapna Meyrick , but T. kikaelekea is brachypterous whereas T. epicapna is macropterous and its range does not overlap with T. kikaelekea . The only other Thyrocopa species that has been found in the same area as T. kikaelekea is T. adumbrata Walsingham. However , the macropterous T. adumbrata has significantly different male genitalia ( Fig. 5), including a much shorter sacculus and strongly bifurcate uncus.

Description. Adult. — Head: Vestiture mostly smooth except scaling erect at hind margin of head; brown to very light brownish-white. Antenna ~ 0.8–0.9x length of forewing; dense, short, cilia surrounding flagellomere in ɗ; few extremely short piliform cilia on flagellomere of Ψ. Labial palpus mottled white and brown; smooth, long (approx. 2.5x interocular width), recurved; third segment approximately as long as second and very slender. Haustellum present with basal scaling. Ocellus absent. Thorax: Brown to very light brownish-white. Wings slightly brachypterous relative to all other Thyrocopa (except T. apatela ) but with all veins found in other Thyrocopa ( Fig. 3). Forewing length 8–11mm (22 specimens, mean= 10mm); mottled white and brown to very light brownish-white; sometimes with black scales forming 1–3 slightly linear spots in some specimens; fringe very short. Hindwing: light brown except apical margin, darker brown in some specimens; fringe light brown to brown with thick brush of hairlike scales at base of wing extended under a narrow costal fold. Abdomen: Segments 2-7 with dorsal band of transverse orange spines just anterior to posterior margin; number of spines per segment varies depending on size of segment, most segments with between 80 and 190 spines ( Fig. 10); scaling light brown, with row of broad, dense, semi-translucent, silveryappearing scales at posterior margin.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 1–2, 7): Uncus triangular, slightly downcurved, with very small apical notch, with cluster of setae laterally. Gnathos V-shaped, upcurved, slightly flared distally with acute tip (lateral view; Fig.

7). Sacculus terminating in an elongate, pointed spur. Phallus cylindrical, with slightly hollowed-out appearing tip ( Fig. 1).

Female genitalia ( Figs. 8–9): Anterior apophysis ~ 0.3x length of posterior apophysis. Ductus bursae about as long as anterior apophysis, gradually enlarged to corpus bursae; corpus bursae ovate, about as long as anterior apophysis; signum a sclerotized, elongate ribbon bearing tiny blunt spines.

Immature stages. – No preserved specimens, but see below under “Biology.”

Behavior.— T. kikaelekea , like T. apatela , is active during the day. However, these species may not be strictly diurnal, because they have been reported to be attracted to, and walking or jumping toward, lights at night (F.G. Howarth and S.L. Montgomery, pers. comm.).

Biology.—Larvae of T. kikaelekea have been seen under rocks: “…the larva makes a silken tunnel under a rock and at the end of it a blind sack in which it pupates” (K. Sattler, unpublished field notes). Larvae of T. apatela also live under rocks and feed on windblown plant debris, such as leaves of na’ene’e ( Dubautia menziesii ) ( Howarth 1987). Given that Thyrocopa larvae are likely generalists on dead plant material ( Zimmerman 1978; Howarth 1979; M.J. Medeiros, pers. obs.), T. kikaelekea larvae may be feeding on windblown debris of mamane ( Sophora chrysophylla ) or grass ( Deschampsia or other species). Adult T. kikaelekea are most often found in clumps of grass (M.J. Medeiros, pers. obs.).

Flight period.—At least from May to September, though one unidentifiable specimen with a missing abdomen, possibly of this species, was found in January (see “Additional material examined”).

Distribution.—Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii Island, Mauna Kea volcano, from at least ~ 2825 m (9270 ft.) to ~ 2987 m (9800 ft.). One individual was collected on Mauna Kea at the significantly lower elevation of 2075 m (6807 ft.); this elevation is approximately 275 m above the historical low elevation on Maui for T. apatela and is also a windy, dry habitat.

Etymology.—This species is named after the Hawaiian word ‘kikaeleke,’ meaning “frisky, restless; to jump here and there,” alluding to its habit of jumping when disturbed.

Type material.— HOLOTYPE ɗ: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Hawaii Island: 9700’ (2957m), Hamakua District, Mauna Kea Road, above Hale Pohaku: 7.viii.1976, K. & E. Sattler (slide 21907 BMNH), (BMNH).

Paratypes 11 ɗ, 9 Ψ: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Hawaii Island: 9700’ (2957m), Hamakua District, Mauna Kea Road, above Hale Pohaku: 1 ɗ, 2 Ψ, 1–14.viii.1976, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); 9800’ (2987m), Hamakua District, Mauna Kea Road, above Hale Pohaku: 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, 2.viii.1982, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Hale Pohaku, 2825m: 2 Ψ, 2.ix.1977, F.G. Howarth (BPBM); Hale Pohaku, 2896m: 1 Ψ, 15.vi.1980, F.G. Howarth (BPBM); Mauna Kea Forest Reserve, near Hale Pohaku, approx. 9500’ (2896m): 1 Ψ (slide 04A65), 19.vii.2004; 5 ɗ (slides 05A45, 05A50, & 05A45wings), 1 Ψ, 27.v.2005; 3 ɗ (slide 06A65), 2 Ψ (slide 06A62), 27.v.2006; M.J. Medeiros; Mauna Kea State Park, 2075m: 1 ɗ, 8.vii.1991, S.L. Montgomery (BPBM).

Additional material examined: The two specimens from Mauna Loa mentioned below in the Discussion are both damaged. They have not been included in the type series. UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Hawaii Island: Mauna Loa Forest Reserve, near Big Red cave, 7600 ft. (2316m): 1 ɗ (abdomen missing), 23.i.2000, J.G. Giffin (BPBM); approx. 1.6 miles (2.6 km) down from weather station, on S side of road, in patch of vegetation, approx 10,800' (3292m): 1 ɗ (found dead; genitalia broken; specimen severely rubbed) (slide 05A55), 29.v.2005, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM).

Remarks.—One specimen (LA17; BPBM), obtained by me through a loan, has identical genitalia, wing pattern, and mitochondrial DNA as T. kikaelekea (M.J. Medeiros, unpublished data). This moth did not have a label affixed to its pin, though it was loaned to me along with a series of also unlabelled Thyrocopa found on Diamond Head, Oahu. I believe this specimen was mistakenly placed in this series.

I confirmed that T. kikaelekea is incapable of sustained ascending flight using a drop test, whereby moths were dropped into a meter-high cylindrical “drop chamber” identical to that used to study Hawaiian cave Schrankia (Noctuidae) (Medeiros et al. in press), as well as by allowing them to move freely within an enclosed room at lower elevation (other Thyrocopa species, which were observed in flight in the field, flew frequently and strongly in this same enclosed room). T. kikaelekea moved by jumping, and was capable of jumping farther than T. apatela , probably aided by its larger wing area (Medeiros, unpublished data). Video of this moth in the field and in the enclosed room revealed that its wings are outstretched while jumping, but the shutter speed of the camera was inadequate to judge whether the wings were flapping (Medeiros, unpublished data).