Thyrocopa geminipuncta Walsingham

Medeiros, Matthew J., 2009, A revision of the endemic Hawaiian genus Thyrocopa (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae: Xyloryctinae), Zootaxa 2202, pp. 1-47 : 21-22

12. Thyrocopa geminipuncta Walsingham

( Figs. 24 , 77 )

Thyrocopa geminipuncta Walsingham, 1907b:506 , plate 15: fig. 4.

Lectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: 4500’ [1372 m]: 1 Ƥ (slide 3898 BMNH), 17 Sep 1893, Perkins (BMNH), designated by Zimmerman, 1978: figs. 658, 683 (as “ holotype ”).

Thyrocopa geminipuncta Walsingham ; Zimmerman, 1978:987, figs. 658 & 683.

Diagnosis: Thyrocopa geminipuncta is similar to, and has a range that overlaps with that of T. alterna , T. subahenea , T. epicapna , T. apikia , and T. indecora . Thyrocopa geminipuncta can be distinguished from T. alterna and T. subahenea by its more rust colored forewing with much fainter black spots. Thyrocopa geminipuncta lacks the dorsal median ridge on the uncus present in T. abusa ; and its uncus is deeply cleft unlike that of T. epicapna or T. indecora . In Thyrocopa geminipuncta the cilia surrounds the male flagellomere unlike that of T. apikia .

Description: Head: Light brown. Antenna ca. 0.7–0.8x forewing length; male with short piliform cilia surrounding flagellomere; female with dense, short, piliform cilia on ventral side of flagellomere. Labial palpus mottled brown to very light brown; third segment ca. 0.8x length of second. Thorax: Light brown. Forewing 10–11 mm; ground color light brown to rust-brown; sometimes with one or more very small, faint black spots in cell. Hindwing very light brown to pale whitish-gold. Abdomen: All specimens mounted on slides. Male genitalia ( Fig. 77 ) with apex of uncus deeply cleft; sacculus short, ending in blunt, scooped-out tip. Female genitalia typical for genus; signum long.

Food plants: Unknown.

Flight period: Specimens have been collected in May and September.

Distribution: Maui, Molokai.

Remarks: This species was originally described from a female specimen from Molokai; it also has been found on Maui.

Additional material examined: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Maui: 4200’ [1280 m], Makawao FR (Olinda): 1 3 (slide 31581 BMNH), (fig. 24) 2 Ƥ, 21–29 Jul 1973, K. & E. Sattler ( BMNH). UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: Kamakou, Puu Kolekole: 1 3 (slide 07A44), 1 Ƥ (slide 07A29), 21–22 May 2007, M.J. Medeiros & J. Dresel ( BPBM).

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 30. Adults of Thyrocopa. 16. T. brevipalpis, Kauai, forewing = 13 mm; 17. T. brevipalpis, Kauai, forewing = 11 mm; 18. T. brevipalpis, Kauai, forewing = 13 mm; 19. T. brevipalpis, Kauai, forewing = 12 mm; 20. T. cinerella, Kauai, forewing = 19 mm; 21. T. decipiens, Hawaii Island, forewing = 18 mm; 22. T. elikapekae, Kauai, forewing = 12 mm; 23. T. epicapna, Hawaii Island, forewing = 10 mm; 24. T. geminipuncta, Maui, forewing = 9 mm; 25. T. gigas, Kauai, forewing = 23 mm; 26. T. indecora, Maui, forewing = 12 mm; 27. T. indecora, Hawaii Island, forewing = 9 mm; 28. T. indecora, Oahu Island, forewing = 11 mm; 29. T. indecora, Maui, forewing = 14 mm; 30. T. indecora, Maui, forewing = 12 mm.

FIGURES 75 – 89. Male genitalia of Thyrocopa; for all figures, lower left box shows detail of uncus, lower right box shows detail of sacculus. 75. T. elikapekae, Kauai, male genitalia (slide LA 60 UHIM); 76. T. epicapna, Maui, male genitalia (slide LA 81 BPBM); 77. T. geminipuncta, Molokai, male genitalia (slide 07 A 44 BPBM); 78. T. gigas, Molokai, male genitalia (slide LA 33 UHIM); 79. T. indecora, Maui, male genitalia (slide 06 B 14 BPBM); 80. T. indecora, Oahu, male genitalia (slide LA 18 BPBM); 81. T. kanaloa, Kahoolawe, male genitalia (08 A 54 BPBM); 82. T. kea, Kauai, male genitalia (slide LA 59 UHIM); 83. T. kikaelekea, Hawaii Island, male genitalia (slide 05 A 45 BPBM); 84. T. kokeensis, Kauai, male genitalia (slide 21909 BMNH); 85. T. megas, Maui, male genitalia (slide LA 73 UHIM); 86. T. neckerensis, Necker, male genitalia (slide LA 10 BPBM); 87. T. nihoa, Nihoa, male genitalia (slide LA 13 BPBM); 88. T. peleana, Oahu, male genitalia (slide # 151 BPBM); 89. T. seminatella, Kauai, male genitalia (slide 07 A 90 BPBM).