Thyrocopa kokeensis

Medeiros, Matthew J., 2009, A revision of the endemic Hawaiian genus Thyrocopa (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae: Xyloryctinae), Zootaxa 2202, pp. 1-47 : 28-29

18. Thyrocopa kokeensis nov. sp.

( Figs. 36 , 84 )

Holotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Kauai: 4000’ [1219 m], Kokee St. Park, Honopu Trail: 1 3 (fig. 36), 28 Aug 1973, K. &. E. Sattler ( BMNH).

Paratypes: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Kauai: 4000’ [1219 m], Kokee St. Park, Awaawapuhi Trail: 1 3, 10 Sep 1973, K. & E. Sattler ( BMNH); 4000’ [1219 m], Kokee St. Park, Honopu Trail: 5 3 (slide 21909 BMNH), 22 Aug–8 Sep 1973, K. &. E. Sattler ( BMNH); 3600’ [1097 m], Kokee St. Park, Kaunuohua Ridge (Milolii Ridge Rd.): 1 3, 1 Jul 1982, K. & E. Sattler ( BMNH); 4000’ [1219 m], Kokee St. Park, Kaunuohua Ridge: 2 3, 30 Aug–6 Sep 1973, K. & E. Sattler ( BMNH); Kokee St. Park, Kaluapuhi Tr.: 6 3, 2 Ƥ (slide 07B55), 9 Oct 2007 – 27 Jul 2008, M.J. Medeiros ( BPBM).

Diagnosis: Thyrocopa kokeensis is similar to T. vagans , but can be distinguished from the latter by the presence of adterminal spots of the forewing and the simple male antennae (bipectinate in T. vagans ).

Description: Head: Scales mottled very light whitish-grey or whitish-brown and grey or brown. Antenna ca. 0.6–0.7x forewing length; very dense, very short, piliform cilia on ventral side of flagellomere of male, female with much less dense and slightly longer piliform cilia on ventral side of flagellomere. Labial palpus mottled very light whitish-grey or whitish-brown and grey or brown, with second segment lighter in overall appearance than third; third segment ca. 0.8x length of second. Thorax: Mottled very light whitish-grey or whitish-brown and grey or brown. Forewing length 8–9 mm; ground color mottled very light whitish-grey or whitish-brown and grey or brown; discal area clouded with several poorly defined blackish spots in cell; rather dark, evenly spaced spots on distal half of costa and along termen at the vein ending; anal and sometimes costal margin of wing often darker than discal area and termen. Hindwing light brown, darker near apex, fringe very light brown. Abdomen: Light brown. Male genitalia ( Fig. 84 ) with apex of uncus deeply cleft; sacculus short, tapering to rounded point. Female genitalia typical for genus; signum long.

Food plants: Unknown.

Flight period: At least July–October.

Distribution: Kauai.

Remarks: It is unusual that this fairly common species was not collected until 1973 given the extensive collections by Perkins in the 1890s.

Etymology: The name “ kokeensis ” refers to Kokee State Park on Kauai, the only locality from which this moth has been recorded.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 45. Adults of Thyrocopa. 31. T. indecora, Hawaii Island, forewing = 12 mm; 32. T. kanaloa (holotype), Kahoolawe, forewing = 7 mm; 33. T. kea, Kauai, forewing = 15 mm; 34. T. kea, Kauai, forewing = 20 mm; 35. T. kikaelekea, Hawaii Island, forewing = 10 mm; 36. T. kokeensis (holotype), Kauai, forewing = 8 mm; 37. T. leonina (holotype), Lanai, forewing = 9 mm; 38. T. megas, Maui, forewing = 18 mm; 39. T. minor, Molokai, forewing = 9 mm; 40. T. neckerensis (holotype), Necker, forewing = 7 mm; 41. T. nihoa, Nihoa, forewing = 7 mm; 42. T. peleana (holotype), Oahu, forewing = 18 mm; 43. T. sapindiella (holotype), Oahu, forewing = 10 mm; 44. T. seminatella, Kauai, forewing = 11 mm; 45. T. spilobathra, Oahu, forewing = 8 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).