Hyposmocoma papahanau Schmitz and Rubinoff

Schmitz, Patrick & Rubinoff, Daniel, 2009, New species of Hyposmocoma (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae) from the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands of Laysan, Necker, and Nihoa, Zootaxa 2272, pp. 37-53 : 50-52

Hyposmocoma papahanau Schmitz and Rubinoff , sp. nov. Figs. 8 , 19

Material examined. Holotype ɗ (dissected, slide PS137): [1] ‘H[ AWAI]I: Nihoa , Miller Canyon | “burrito” case, VII-17 -[20]07 | em[ergence]. VIII-20 -[20]07, #DR07G4 | leg[it]. D[aniel]. Rubinoff, J[esse]. Eiben’; [2] ‘ HOLOTYPE | Hyposmocoma | papahanau | Schmitz and Rubinoff’. Specimen in good condition except for broken antennae and labial palpi. Deposited in the UHIM.

Diagnosis. H. papahanau can be confused based on external characters only with the similar-looking H. opuumaloo in the NWHI but can be easily separated from the latter by the combination of wing pattern and coloration, and the absence of a sclerotized hook in males. The two species also occur allopatrically.

Description. MALE (n=1) ( Fig. 8 ). Wingspan 8.8 mm (holotype). Head mostly rusty beige with darkbrown scales as tufts on each side at base of occiput. Base of haustellum with white scales. Maxillary palpus reduced. Thorax and tegula dark brown, with some scattered rusty scales; metascutellum pale beige. Foreleg coxa beige; femur dark brown; tibia and tarsomeres dark brown with off-white ring at middle and apex of tibia, and apex of tarsomeres I, II, and V. Midleg as foreleg, spurs off-white. Hindleg as midleg, but ground color more silver-gray, with off-white rings at apex on tarsomeres I–V. Forewing mostly covered with rustybrown tipped beige scales dense enough to appear as band along dorsal margin with dark-brown scales at base with grayish-brown scales forming interrupted band along costal margin and crescent shaped band before termen; dark-brown markings as a basal spot on the costal margin, a postbasal line extending diagonally from costal margin at 1/6 to about 2/3 of wing width, a wavelike median patch along midline and somewhat fused with upper grayish-brown area on costal margin, and a postmedian spot separated from median patch; rusty scales as thin line extending from base of wing along midline to about 1/4 of wing length, and merging gradually with forewing background color between basal spot and postbasal line. Hindwing gray; fringe grayish beige. Subcostal brush absent. Abdomen dorsally pale beige; ventrally off-white, with tuft of long scales on each side of genitalia off-white. Sclerotized hook absent on segment VII. Genital flaps rounded, elongated and thin; arising on both sides at apex of sclerotized sternum VIII.

Male genitalia (n=1) ( Fig. 19 ). Right uncuslike process straight and blunt tipped, about 2 X length of left process. Tegumen wide, heavily sclerotized along margins, dorsoventrally flattened. Valvae symmetrical, spoon-shaped with short arms broader distally, slightly upcurved, adorned with setae disposed comblike along dorsal margin, with two thin sclerotized spurlike setae of same length on each valva. Phallus heavily sclerotized, bulbous near middle, second half slightly angled downward; vesica without spines or cornuti. Anellus with two symmetrical lobes, not enlarged, both adorned with small setae, with very long setae at apex.

Female. Unknown

Larval case (n=11). Burrito-shaped, 4.5–8.7 mm in length, similar to that of H. nihoa .

Etymology. The name of H. papahanau is short for Papahānaumokuākea, which is the goddess who gave birth to the NWHI in the Hawaiian mythology and the name of the recently proclaimed Marine National Monument that encompasses all the NWHI.

Biology. Adults were reared from case-making larvae. Larvae were collected on the ground during the day on the island of Nihoa in July.

Distribution. Known only from the NWHI of Nihoa where it is presumed to be endemic.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Male genitalia of Hyposmocoma papahanau from specimen on slide PS 137. A. Tegumen, lateral aspect; B. Valvae with phallus, ventral aspect (outer spurlike setae of left valva lost and phallus broken).

FIGURES 1 – 8. Holotypes of Hyposmocoma spp., adult males. 1. H. laysanensis; 2. H. ekemamao; 3. H. opuumaloo; 4. H. mokumana; 5. H. nihoa; 6. H. kikokolu; 7. H. menehune; 8. H. papahanau.