Hyposmocoma ipowainui, Schmitz & Rubinoff, 2011

Schmitz, Patrick & Rubinoff, Daniel, 2011, The Hawaiian amphibious caterpillar guild: new species of Hyposmocoma (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae) confirm distinct aquatic invasions and complex speciation patterns, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (1), pp. 15-42 : 32-34

HYPOSMOCOMA IPOWAINUI SCHMITZ & RUBINOFF SP. NOV. ( FIGS 12B , 14B , 16 , 20B )

Material examined: HOLOTYPE ♂: [1] ‘H[ AWAI]I: Kauai, Uhau‘iole Stream | ‘burrito’ case, VIII-8- [20]07 | em[ergence]. VIII-11-[20]07, #DR07H1B | leg [it]. D[aniel]. Rubinoff, W [ill]. Haines’; [2] ‘ HOLO- TYPE | Hyposmocoma | ipowainui | Schmitz and Rubinoff’. Specimen in good condition except for broken antennae. Deposited in the UHIM.

PARATYPES: 10 ♂, 13 ♀, from Kauai Island , Hawaii, USA ; 1 ♂, with same data as holotype ; 3 ♂, 5 ♀, with same data as holotype except date of emergence: 19.viii.2007 (1 ♀), 26.viii.2007 (1 ♀), 11.ix.2007 (1 ♂, dissected PS146), 27.ix.2007 (1 ♀), 3.i.2008 (1 ♂) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, HI: Kauai Island , Uhau‘iole Stream, amongst rocks, 8.viii.2007, Haines, Rubinoff, coll[ectors] .; 3 ♂ (one dissected, PS112), 5 ♀ (one dissected, PS147), HI: Kauai co. N. fork Wailua R [i]v[e]r. Blue Hole Tr [ai]l. H[ea]d. ‘burrito’, 27.ii.2004, Em [e]rg[ed]. 3/ 12.v.2004, Rubinoff, coll[ector] .; 1 ♀, HI: Kauai , Alakai Swamp area, Kawaikoi stream, ‘burrito’ case, 3.vi.2004, em. 19.vii.2004, leg. D. Rubinoff ; 1 ♀, HI: Kauai , Alakai Swamp area, Kawaikoi stream, ‘burrito’ case, 18.v.2005, em[ergence]. 16.vi.2005, #DR05E2, leg. D. Rubinoff, W. Haines et al .; 1 ♀, HI: Kauai , Kawaikoi stream, N 22.13158°, W 159.62161°, elev[ation]. 3490 f[ee]t, ‘burrito’ case, 24.ii.2009, em. 23.iii.2009, #DR09B7C, coll. P[atrick]. Schmitz, D. Rubinoff, M [ichael]. San Jose ; 3 ♂, HI: Kauai , Keahua stream, N 22.07143°, W 159.41765°, elev. 602 ft, ‘burrito’ case, 23.ii.2004, em. 12.iii.2009, coll. P. Schmitz, D. Rubinoff, M. San Jose. Deposited in BPBM, MHNG, UHIM, and USNM .

Diagnosis: In the genus Hyposmocoma , H. ipowainui is a relatively large species closely related to Hyposmocoma kaikuono Schmitz & Rubinoff, 2008 endemic to the island of Molokai, Hyposmocoma kapakai Schmitz & Rubinoff, 2008 endemic to the island of Oahu, Hyposmocoma kaupo Schmitz & Rubinoff, 2008 endemic to the island of Maui, and Hyposmocoma montivolans ( Butler, 1882) endemic to the island of Oahu. Based only on wing pattern, H. ipowainui can be separated from H. kapakai and H. montivolans by the forewing ground colour being greyish blue and not olive green. It differs also in male genitalia from H. kapakai and H. montivolans by having a triangular projection on left valva like the other species mentioned, from H. kaikuono by having six sclerotized spur-like setae on each valva, two of them on the triangular projection, from H. kaupo by having a broad sclerotized ring on abdominal segment VII, and from H. kaikuono , H. kapakai , H. kaupo , and H. montivolans by having a straight, thick, and blunt sclerotized hook, not enlarged apically.

Description: Male (N = 8) ( Figs 12B , 16 ). Wingspan 11.8–14.5 mm (holotype: 13.3 mm). Head with greyish-blue white-tipped scales converging toward midline on occiput. Haustellum with greyish-blue brown-tipped scales. Maxillary palpus reduced. Labial palpus recurved with greyish-blue browntipped scales, subapically white ring on second segment, and slender dark-brown third segment. Antenna flagellum darkish brown; scape with scales white tipped at the end; antennal pecten present with up to eight thin setae. Thorax mostly greyish blue; dark brown at collar and at apex medially, with yellowish-orange scales laterally, more or less conspicuous and forming sometimes small spots; apex of tegula and outer margin of metathorax dark brown; metascutellum greyish beige. Foreleg coxa with offwhite and greyish-blue brown-tipped scales; femur, tibia, and tarsomeres mostly dark brown with offwhite ring at middle and apex of tibia, and apex of tarsomeres I– V. Midleg as foreleg, but also with ring of greyish-blue scales on tibia postmedially and extended off-white rings, spurs off-white. Hindleg as midleg. Forewing mostly greyish-blue with paletipped scales; off-white scales at jointure of wing; dark-brown markings as a basal band, a small basocostal spot not reaching dorsal margin, a medium size patch postbasally (slightly below midline), a submedial patch above midline, a larger oval submedially along posterior margin without reaching it, a medium size patch medially in middle of wing just above submedial oval, and a pair of medium patches, sometimes joined, situated postmedially, the patch below reaching inner margin; small off-white spots occuring at half and three-quarters along dorsal margin, with sometimes slightly off-white markings as small dots around dark-brown markings; fringe off-white to greyish beige with darker-tipped scales. Hindwing greyish brown with greyish-beige fringe. Subcostal brush conspicuous, on dorsal surface on anterior margin, dark grey extending half the length of hindwing (see Fig. 12B ). Abdomen dorsally uniform shiny grey; ventrally off-white, with tuft of long pale beige scales on each side of genitalia. Sclerotized hook arising from distinct sclerotized ring on the right side of tergum VII, elongate, slightly curved, narrowing apically to blunt apex; minute sclerotized point on the left side; sternum VII with triangular fold in the middle pointing perpendicularly. Genital flaps on sternum VIII, rounded, broad, and thin.

Male genitalia (N = 2) ( Fig. 16 ). Uncus-like processes with right process elongate, curved ventrally, apically pointed, about four ¥ longer than reduced left process. Tegumen wide, heavily sclerotized, dorsoventrally flattened, ventral connection broad. Valvae asymmetrical, with long and slender arms adorned with dense setae arranged comb-like along dorsal margin, broadened distally, with six prominent, uniformly spaced, sclerotized spur-like setae, sequentially longer distally, setae thinner and shorter, arranged more densely on right valva, left valva with subapical triangular projection adorned with two spur-like setae. Phallus slightly bent to the right at about two-thirds of length, stout, blunt tipped, heavily sclerotized, bulbous at base. Anellus with asymmetrical lobes, left lobe with broad bulbous projection at middle, then terminating in short point, right lobe delicate and slightly curved, bulbous at end, both adorned with small setae, two to three very long setae on apex, two ¥ length of phallus.

Female (N = 12). Wingspan 12.6–16.0 mm. Frenulum with three acanthae. Antenna slightly thinner than that of male. Otherwise externally like males.

Female genitalia (N = 2) ( Fig. 20B ). Papillae anales short, lightly sclerotized and setose, slightly longer than wide, pointed lateroapically. Posterior apophyses very slender and straight, about five ¥ length of papillae anales. Anterior apophyses slightly broader and about one-third ¥ length of posterior apophyses. Ostium-bearing process heavily sclerotized, externally protruding, question-marked shaped, broad at base with sickle-shaped apex. Ductus bursae short, of medium girth. Inception of ductus seminalis large, at about one-third length of corpus bursae, situated behind of corpus bursae. Apical margin of sternum VII with slight broad emargination medially. Corpus bursae oval and elongate, with light scobination, lightly sclerotized from about middle to pointed proximal end; signum absent.

Larva cases (N = 83) ( Fig. 14B ). Burrito-shaped structure, 6.0–9.0 mm long, in reference to the shape of a type of Mexican food that consists of a flour tortilla wrapped around a filling, large and rounded with a curved pointed distal end, decorated with bits of sand, pebbles, and lichens entangled in silk filaments. Case background colour ranges from grey to brown.

Distribution: Presumed to be endemic to the streams and rivers of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Remarks: This aquatic burrito species is amongst the largest on any of the islands. In remarkable contrast to the localized speciation of the cone and bugle species on Kauai, H. ipowainui is found across Kauai and the ranges of the other species and has apparently not speciated along the same geographical boundaries as the cone lineage. Further research into this phylogeographical discontinuity on Kauai and why it does not affect this species is warranted. This species can be abundant and smaller larvae may be mistaken for the smaller burrito-cased species Hyposmocoma aumakuawai , although the adult moths are clearly distinct, and experience with the larvae reveals differences in the cases.

Figures

Figure 12. Holotypes of aquatic bugle and large burritocase Hyposmocoma spp., adult males. A, Hyposmocoma eepawai sp. nov.; B, Hyposmocoma ipowainui sp. nov.

Figure 14. Case types of aquatic Hyposmocoma spp., larvae. A, Hyposmocoma eepawai sp. nov., lateral aspect; B, Hyposmocoma ipowainui sp. nov., dorsal aspect; C, Hyposmocoma aumakuawai sp. nov., dorsal aspect.

Figure 16. Male genitalia of Hyposmocoma ipowainui sp. nov. from specimen on slide PS146. A, tegumen, ventral aspect; B, sclerotized hook on abdominal segment VII, ventral aspect; C, valvae with phallus, ventral aspect.

Figure 20. Female genitalia of Hyposmocoma spp., ventral aspect. A, Hyposmocoma eepawai sp. nov. (slide PS179); B, Hyposmocoma ipowainui sp. nov. (slide PS147); C, Hyposmocoma aumakuawai sp. nov. (slide PS203); D, Hyposmocoma waihohonu sp. nov. (slide PS169); E, Hyposmocoma moopalikea sp. nov. (slide PS171).