Philodoria floscula Walsingham, 1907

Figs. 10D, E, 26M, 44I, J, 45E, F, 46E, 57G.

Philodoria floscula Walsingham, 1907: 718–719, pl. 25, fig. 21; Zimmerman 1978a: 708, figs. 462, 477.

Type locality. Hilo (Big Island) .

Type material. Lectotype ♀ [=Type “♂ (28597) Mus. Wlsm.” in original description], Hilo, 2000ft, xii.1895, Perkins.28597, | PHILODORIA FLOSCULA, Wlsm Fn Hawaii I descry. figd | Walsingham Collection. 1910–427.|NHMUK010305334|TYPE|TYPE ♂ BM ♀ Genitalia slide no. 3950| in NHMUK. Paralectotype ♂, Olaa, Hawaii, ix. 1896, Perkins.28063, | Philodoria floscula Wlsm PARATYPE 1/1| Walsingham Collection. 1910 427.|NHMUK010305335| PARATYPE | in NHMUK. Described from two specimens: ‘Type ♂ (28597)’ and one ‘paratype’. Given the manner in which the descriptions were written, Walsingham likely considered these specimens as the holotype and paratype, as indicated on their specimen labels. But because as a holotype was not formally specified in the text of his study, the so-labeled type and paratype are all to be considered syntypes under Article 73.2 of the Code (ICZN 1999), and any one is thus eligible for designation as lectotype under Article 74 of the Code (ICZN 1999). The syntype ‘Type ♂ [= ♀] (28597)’, which Walsingham listed first and figured, is here designated as lectotype (Fig. 10D). The other syntype is the paralectotype.

Additional material. 2♂, 3♀, 1 (sex unknown), Upper Hamakua Ditch trail, Hawaii ( Big Island), 29.x.& 4. xi.2014 (stored), C.A. Johns leg., host: Pipturus albidus, CJ 394 / SK818♂, SK 819♀, CJ395 / PHIL0001♂, 0002♂, 0003 ♀, SK 734♀ in BPBM ; 1♀, Same locality, 15.v.2016 em., C.L. - Vaamonde & C. Doorenweerd leg., host: Pipturus sp., 24.iv.2016 (cocoon), CLV0017, SK 824♀ in BPBM . 1♀, Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve, Hawaii ( Big Island), 9.vi.2015 (stored), C.A. Johns leg., host: Pipturus sp., 25.v.2015, CJ 426 in BPBM .

Philodoria sp. near P. floscula: 1♀, Hawaii (Big Island), Volcanoes National Park, Napau Crater area, 8.vi.1976, K. & E. Sattler, B.M. 1976-605BMNH(E)1621114, Philodoria sp. 6 (Hawaii), D. C. Lees Sep. 2016 in NHMUK .

Diagnosis. The forewing pattern is very similar to that of P. haelaauensis sp. n. and P. micropetala Walsingham but distinguished by its rather narrow two costal white bands (cs and w 1) in the forewing (Figs. 10D, E, 26M); the female genitalia has a pair of sinuous line-shaped signa with series of minute spines (Fig. 56E). We treat the record from Molokai (Swezey & Bryan, 1929: 301) as incorrect, as the Molokai specimens of ‘ P. floscula ’ identified by Swezey are P. haelaauensis sp. n. based on our examination of genitalia.

Redescription: Adult (Figs. 10D, E, 26M). Wingspan 8 mm in type series. Head brownish gray above; frons white; maxillary palpus reduced; labial palpus white, a dark spot at the end of the median joint, the terminal joint also shaded with fuscous. Antenna brownish. Thorax bronze. Forewing bronze, with four rather outwardly oblique, silver-white marginal band; dorsal ws before the middle crossing the fold; one cs about the middle; two white bands (w 1, 2) on both extremities of shining, pale green bb 3 at 3/4, beyond which the apical portion bright orange with a black as before the shiny, green cilia; tornal cilia tawny gray. Hindwing tawny brown; cilia tawny. Abdomen fuscous above, white beneath. Legs brown.

Male genitalia (Figs. 44I, J, 45E, 46E, F) (new record) (n=3). Capsule 740 µm. Tegumen 0.8 x length of valva; valva 410–570 µm long, similar to P. pipturicola and P. haelaauensis, except dorsal margin of basal portion rounded (Fig. 44I, J). Saccus rather slender and needle-shaped (Fig. 45E, F). Phallus 410–420 µm long, slightly curved toward dorsal side with two series of minute cornuti in vesica (Fig. 46E).

Female genitalia (Fig. 57G) (n=4). 1200 µm long. Ostium bursae large; antrum wide with a slender pair of lateral lobes; lamella antevaginalis 220–230 µm, weakly sclerotized, widening toward anterior margin of A7. Ductus bursae 450–500 µm and median section narrowing weakly sclerotized and flattened; terminus of ductus bursae broad and weakly sclerotized. Corpus bursae oblong 660–670 µm; paired signa as sinuous lines each with a series of minute spines.

Distribution. Maui (Zimmerman 1978a: 708) and Hawaii (Big Island) (Walsingham 1907).

Host plants. Urticaceae: Pipturus sp. (Swezey, 1923), Pipturus albidus A.Gray ex H.Mann: new record.

Biology. Unknown. See also biology of P. obamaorum sp. n.

Remarks. We observed several Pipturus miners, namely P. floscula, P. obamaorum, and nr. P. haelaauensis occurring together at Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve, Hawaii (Big Island) (Fig. 70).