Hyposmocoma auropurpurea Walsingham, 1907

Kawahara, Akito Y. & Rubinoff, Daniel, 2012, Three new species of Fancy Case caterpillars from threatened forests of Hawaii (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Hyposmocoma), ZooKeys 170, pp. 1-20 : 4

Hyposmocoma auropurpurea Walsingham, 1907 Figs 11118

Diagnosis.

This species is unique among species of Hyposmocoma because it has metallic purple wings with a narrow, diagonal orange band near the wing apex.

Re-description.

Male. (n = 2; Fig 1). Forewing length 4.8-5.0 mm.Head with a mixture of copper and metallic purple colored scales arranged radially from compound eye. Haustellum with light brown scales. Maxillary palpus reduced. Labial palpus curved with copper and metallic purple colored scales, scale color similar on all surfaces of palpus. Antenna brown with a mosaic of metallic purple scales. Thorax mostly copper; dark brown/purple scales present along anterior margin. Foreleg coxa with brown and metallic purple scales; femur, tibia, and tarsomeres mostly dark brown. Midleg as foreleg, but spurs covered in a mixture of dark and light-brown scales. Hindleg as midleg, but longer with long hairs on dorsal margin of tibia. Forewing metallic with a narrow diagonal orange band near wing apex. Diffuse orange patch in proximal region of FW along anal margin. Fringe orange and brown/metallic purple, longer scales tending to be brown/metallic purple, shorter ones orange. Hindwing brown with brown fringe. Abdomen dorsally dark brown; ventrally metallic brown/purple, with tuft of long dark brown scales covering lateral surface of genitalia.

Male genitalia (Fig. 11).Right brachium of uncus sickle shaped and curved at 1/2, tapering gradually, heavily sclerotized. Left brachium small, not sclerotized. Tegumen wide and sclerotized. Valvae roughly symmetrical, two long thin setae arising from approximately 2/3 length along dorsal margin of both valvae. Dense row of fine, hair-like setae disposed comblike along inner ventral margin of valva. Phallus stout, heavily sclerotized, open ventrally, tapered, and bent ventrad at about 1/2 of length; vesica without spines or cornuti. Anellus with two symmetrical rounded lobes with short setae.

Female. (n = 4). Externally as male, forewing length 5.2-5.5 mm.

Female genitalia. (Fig 18). Papillae anales very short and setose. Anterior and posterior apophyses slender, long, posterior apophyses about same length as anterior apophyses. Ostium bursae small, heavily sclerotized, externally protruding, roughly triangular, not snail-shaped. Corpus bursae oval and elongate, with very light scobination; signum absent. Ductus bursae long and narrow, slightly twisted, about equal in length of corpus bursae. Apical margin of tergum VIII with median emargination.

Larval case (n = 7).Dark brown, smooth, 7-9 mm in length and 1.7-2 mm wide.

Material examined.

(2♂, 4♀). 1♂, 1♀: HI: Oahu, Waianae Range, Palikea trail, “purse” case 15-I-09, em. 23-III-2009, #DR09A3I, coll. P. Schmitz, D. Rubinoff, W. Haines, J. Eiben. 1♂, 1♀: HI: Oahu, Waianae Mountains, Palikea area, ~ elev. 850 on Pittosporum sp. leaves, 23-X-2009, em. 22-I-2010, #DR09J1A, coll. P. Krushelnycky. 1♀: HI: Oahu, Waianae Mountains, Palikea area, ~elev. 850 m, 5-XI-2009, em. 28-I-2010, #DR09K1A, coll. P. Krushelnycky. 1♀: HI: Oahu, South Waianae Mountains, Palikea area, 800-925 m, 30-III to 8-IV-2010, em 15-V-2010, #DR10C7B, coll. P. Krushelnychy and OANRP staff. All specimens from the UHIM.

Specimens sequenced.

Eight specimens from Oahu, Hawaii, USA (UH log numbers DR09A3I (1), DR09J1A (3), DR09K1A (2), DR10C17B (2)), extraction codes DN1202, DN1219, DN1262, DN1315, DN1328, DN1329, DN1330, and DN1331.

Biology.

Case-making larvae were collected from October to April. Larvae were typically found in leaf litter, but in some cases were found on leaves such as Pittosporum sp. ( Pittosporaceae ).

Distribution.

Known only from the Waianae Mountain Range, Oahu.