Philodoria spilota ( Walsingham, 1907 )

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 : 55-56

Philodoria spilota ( Walsingham, 1907)

Elachista spilota Walsingham, 1907: 513–514 , pl. 15, fig. 18.

Philodoria spilota ( Walsingham, 1907) ; Zimmerman 1978a: 718, figs. 434, 467, 480.

Type locality. Haleakala (Maui).

Type material. Holotype ♀ (=Type ♂ (28405) Mus. Wlsm.), Haleakala, 5000ft, Maui, v.1896, slide 2030 in NHMUK (specimen missing), described based on a single specimen from Maui. The type specimen, designated by Walsingham, but not formally stated as the holotype in the original descirption is here formally designated as the holotype following article 73.1.2 ( ICZN 1999). Walsingham (1907) noted that the type was ‘injured when being figured’.

Diagnosis. Very similar to P. haelaauensis sp. n., but is distinguished by its dark brown forewing, white spot (ws) in the middle, not extending to the dorsal margin and lacking an orange patches at the wing apex. A white basal streak from forewing base to the costal fold was illustrated in original figure ( Walsingham 1907: pl. 15, fig. 18) but not mentioned in the original description. Zimmerman (1978a: 702, 718, fig. 467) noted that “The unique holotype is a faded, damaged female and not a male as Walsingham stated in his original description. This [holotype] hardly resembles the Walsingham 1907, pl. 15, fig.18. The photograph does not reveal the basal white streak on the fold that is shown on the Walsingham figure.” The holotype photograph showing the forewing base appears to lack brownish fuscous scales and basal white forewing color. Zimmerman also reported that the holotype has badly broken hindwings, a damaged body and is missing the left antenna. The holotype was not found where it should have been stored at the NHMUK (D.C. Lees, pers. comm.).

Description: Adult ( Walsingham 1907: pl. 15, fig. 18; Zimmerman 1978a: 718, figs. 434, 467). Wingspan 7 mm; forewing length 3 mm. The following is from Walsingham (1907: 513–514): “Head brownish fuscous; maxillary palpus reduced; labial palpus white, the terminal joint speckled with fuscous beneath, the outer end of the median joint fuscous. Antenna pale brownish fuscous. Thorax brownish fuscous. Forewings bronze fuscous, with silvery white spots; one square, resting on the middle of the fold, another, also square, on the dorsum at the end of the fold; between these a short outwardly oblique costal streak, a small costal spot between this and the apex and a larger spot at the apex; cilia brownish fuscous. Hindwing and cilia brownish fuscous. Abdomen fuscous. Legs pale cinereous.”

Male genitalia Unknown.

Female genitalia See Zimmerman (1978a: fig. 480). Similar to P. haelaauensis . Ostium bursae large; antrum wide with a pair of slender lateral lobes; lamella antevaginalis weakly sclerotized, widening toward anterior margin of A7. Ductus bursae slender, posterior extremity slightly widening and membranous, and middle section narrowing weakly sclerotized and flattened; terminus of ductus bursae membranous. Corpus bursae pyriform; signum a conical plate with minutely spined surface.

Distribution. Maui ( Walsingham 1907).

Host plants and Biology. Unknown.