Tamsica kawikae Medeiros

Medeiros, Matthew J & Adamski, David, 2012, Three new species of Hawaiian moths from Kahoolawe island (Lepidoptera: Crambidae & Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 3341, pp. 59-63 : 62-63

Tamsica kawikae Medeiros , sp. nov.

(Figs. 1.3 & 2.3)

Diagnosis. Tamsica Zimmerman (1958) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. T. kawikae is similar to T. floricolans (Butler) , a species occurring on Oahu, Molokai, and Lanai. T. kawikae has a more slender uncus and gnathos than T. floricolans .

Description. Head. Vertex and frontoclypeus somewhat roughly scaled, mottled light brown to brown or nearly black in some specimens. Labial palpi semi-porrect, maxiary palpi upturned, ca. 0.3x length of labial palpi. Ocelli present. Antennae ca. 0.7x length of forewing; dense, very short, piliform cilia on ventral side of flagellomere. Proboscis scaled proximally, very pale light brown.

Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum brown. Legs light brown to nearly black, with apical portion of each segment ringed in lighter scales. Forewing length = 4 - 5.5 mm (n = 17); ground color pale brown to dark brown, with faint transverse medial and antemedial lines present; a postmedial line terminating in a larger dark spot near the costal margin present in most specimens; several spots near ends of veins present along termen; fringe brown to light brown. Hindwing brown to light brown.

Abdomen: Male genitalia (Fig. 2.3): Uncus and gnathos both slender and ending in sharp, pointed apices, uncus with several setae ventrally. Tegumen cylindrical. Valvae simple and unornamented, broad and narrowing only slightly to a blunt apex, with only a small, triangular spur projecting dorsally from valva and several setae near apex. Vinculum rounded. Phallus cylindrical and slightly curved along entire length.

Female genitalia: Unknown.

Holotype 3: UNITED STATES: Hawaii: Kahoolawe: Hakioawa, D4 planting area, 19 Jul 2011, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM).

Paratypes 16 3: UNITED STATES: Hawaii: Kahoolawe: Hakioawa, D4 planting area, 19–20 Jul 2011, M.J. Medeiros (genitalia slides 11A05, 11A10, 11A17, & 11A20) (BPBM & UHIM).

Etymology. T. kawikae is named in honor of my brother, David Medeiros. “Kawika” is a phonetic Hawaiianlanguage translation of “David” and T. kawikae means “David's Tamsica ”. David, a linguist who has spent years studying the Hawaiian language, has not only helped me to properly name Lepidoptera over the years, but has been a cheerful and able field assistant on several collecting trips (including my first, in 2003) to the Hawaiian Islands.

Remarks. T. kawikae occurs in great numbers on Kahoolawe. Perkins (1913) noted of Tamsica moths in general, “They are able to flourish in the driest localities near the coast...” T. kawikae is the seventh species to be described from this genus.