Philodoria funkae Kobayashi, Johns & Kawahara

Kobayashi, Shigeki, Johns, Chris A. & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2021, Revision of the Hawaiian endemic leaf-mining moth genus Philodoria Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae): its conservation status, host plants and descriptions of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 4944 (1), pp. 1-175 : 96-97

Philodoria funkae Kobayashi, Johns & Kawahara , sp. n.

Figs. 21A–C , 59I .

Philodoria sp. 12; Johns et al. 2018: fig. 2.

Type locality. Kokee (Kauai).

Etymology. The specific epithet, funkae , is dedicated to the late Dr. Vicki Ann Funk, a Hawaiian aster systematist that contributed significantly to research on Hawaiian plants and island biogeography.

Type material. Holotype ♀, Kokee, Kauai Is., 9.vii.2015 (stored), C.A. Johns leg., host: Wilkesia gymnoxiphium , 26.vi.2015, CJ470 / SK 761♀ in BPBM . Paratype 2♀: 1♀, same locality and data as holotype, 21.vii.2015 (stored), CJ489, SK 762♀; 1♀, Kauai Is. , N. Tangalin leg., host: W. gymnoxiphium, Summer.2015 , AYK-13-0075, CJ523 / SK 763♀ in BPBM. The type material does not include a complete specimen, but the specimens retained enough characteristics to describe as a separate species. What remains of the types were mounted on a cover slip (wings) or preserved as a gentialia slide mount. The holotype is represented by two forewings and two hindwings (completed right wing and 3/4 of left wing) ( Fig. 21A, B ); a paratype ( CJ489 ) has four halves of wings; the paratype ( CJ523 ) is two forewings with 1/4 of the wing missing, and two hindwing halves ( Fig. 21C ). The head, antenna, thorax, and legs were sacrificed for molecular analysis.

Diagnosis. The forewing pattern is similar to that of other Asteraceae feeders, namely P. keahii sp. n., P. naenaeiella (Swezey) and P. pittosporella (Swezey) , but P. funkae is distinguished from them by the broader ds 2, 3 and ds 2 connecting basal patch of the forewing ( Fig. 21A–C ); in the female, the narrowed posterior region of lamella antevaginalis and corpus bursae bear several weakly sclerotized wrinkles ( Fig. 59I ).

Description: Adult ( Fig. 21A–C ). Forewing length 3.8 mm in holotype ( Fig. 21B ). Head and thorax characters are unknown. Forewing bronze with white patches: cs 3 at 4/5; ds 2 large and base broad from 1/4 to the middle, connecting with a basal patch (ds 1); outwardly oblique large ds 3 from 1/2 to 3/4; apical potion fuscous, costal area orangish brown with a blue as; cilia fuscous with three to four white apical spots (a, b, c); terminal cilia with orange bl 1 and two white spots; tornal cilia two black fringe lines with an orange bl 1. Hindwing and cilia gray.

Male genitalia Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 59I ) (n=3). 970 µm long. Ostium bursae large; antrum deeply cup-shaped with a pair of lateral lobes; lamella antevaginalis 160 µm, weakly sclerotized, posterior part narrowing and slightly inflexed on the posterior margin, widening toward anterior margin of A7. Ductus bursae short, middle part weakly sclerotized, round and flat; terminus of ductus bursae tubular and broad, biforked. Corpus bursae 530 µm, pyriform; anterior end of corpus bursae weakly sclerotized; paired rows longitudinal, partly sclerotized of wrinkles.

Distribution. Kauai.

Host plants. Asteraceae : Wilkesia gymnoxiphium A.Gray.

Biology. Leaf mines begin as slender mines near leaf apex and usually enlarge into a blotch in later larval stages. Blotch mines are typically situated at the leaf tips. Many older leaves of Wilkesia gymnoxiphium naturally brown at the tips, which can make it difficult to find active mines of this moth species.

Parasitoids. Bethylidae sp. ( Fig. 105M–O ).

Remarks. Wilkesia comprises of only two species, W. gymnoxiphium and W. hobdyi . Both are only known from Kauai. Wilkesia hobdyi is critically endangered (IUCN). We were unable to visit natural populations of W. hobdyi and survey for Philodoria because the remaining populations of this plant are located on a steep, dangerous cliff area.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Adults of Philodoria species. A Wings of P. funkae sp n., holotype female, B Right forewing of holotype shown in A, C Wings of paratype female, D P. pittosporella (Swezey, 1928) holotype male, E P. touchardiella (Swezey, 1928) lectotype female. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 59. Female genitalia of Philodoria. A P. neraudicola, paralectotype, Oahu, SK708, host: Neraudia melastomifalia, B Same species, Maui, SK838, host: Pipturus albidus, C P. obamaorum, paratype, Hawaii (Big Island), SK710, host: Pipturus albidus, D Same species, Hawaii (Big Island), SK844 host: Pipturus sp., E P. urerana, paralectotype, SK672, F Philodoria sp. 1, SK835, G Same species, PHIL0021, H P. keahii, paratype, SK756, I P. funkae, holotype, SK761, J P. touchardiella, SK764, K P. keaensis, holotype, Hawaii (Big Island), SK777, L P. hauicola, Oahu, SK618.

FIGURE 105. Parasitoid wasps that emerged from Philodoria that mine Asteraceae, Kauai. A–H, M, N: Braconidae, I, J: unidentified species, M–O: Bethylidae. A–L: from P. alakaiensis? on Dubautia sp. [laxa?], Kauai. A, B CJ453, C, D CJ458-1, E, F CJ458-2, G, H CJ458-3, I, J CJ458-4, K, L CJ458-5, M–O CJ522 from P. funkae on Wilkesia gymnoxiphium.