Thyrocopa apikia

Medeiros, Matthew J., 2009, A revision of the endemic Hawaiian genus Thyrocopa (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae: Xyloryctinae), Zootaxa 2202, pp. 1-47 : 14-15

6. Thyrocopa apikia nov. sp.

( Figs. 15 , 71 )

Holotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: Pepepae Bog Trail, “Kamakou 4 ”: 1 3 (slide LA 26), 6 Jul 2005, D. Rubinoff ( UHIM).

Paratypes: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: Kamakou Pres., Pepeopae Trail: 2 3 (slide LA 23), 19 May 2004, no collector listed ( UHIM); Pepepae Bog Trail, “Kamakou 4 ”: 1 3, 6 Jul 2005, D. Rubinoff ( UHIM); Olokui, 914 m: 1 Ƥ (slide MJM 25), 3 Sep 1976, S.L. Montgomery ( BPBM).

Diagnosis: Of Thyrocopa on Molokai, T. apikia is much smaller than T. gigas ; is much bigger than T. minor ; has filiform antennae unlike T. decipiens ; has cilia only on the underside of the male antennae unlike T. geminipuncta and T. subahenea ; and has long bifurcations on the male uncus unlike T. fraudulentella . T. apikia is the only consistently very dark, medium-sized Thyrocopa on Molokai.

Description: Head: Scales brown. Antenna ca. 0.7–0.8x forewing length; dense, short, piliform cilia on ventral side of flagellomere in males, slightly longer and less dense cilia on ventral side of flagellomere in female. Labial palpus brown on second segment, light brown on third; third segment ca. 0.8x length of second. Thorax: Brown. Forewing length 14–16 mm; forewing ground color brown to dark brown to rich purplish-brown; very faintly darker spots sometimes visible in cell. Hindwing light brown; fringe light brown. Abdomen: Brown. Male genitalia ( Fig. 71 ) with apex of uncus deeply cleft; sacculus knobbed and scoopedout in appearance. Female genitalia typical of genus; signum long.

Food plants: Unknown.

Flight period: At least May–Sep.

Distribution: Molokai.

Etymology: “ Apikia ” is a form of a Hawaiian word meaning “deceptive.” The specific epithet refers to the initial confusion of this moth with T. subahenea . The two have similar wing patterns and range, but their genitalia are very different.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 15. Adults of Thyrocopa. 1. T. abusa (holotype of T. immutata), Kauai, forewing = 11 mm; 2. T. abusa, Oahu, forewing = 11 mm; 3. T. abusa, Oahu, forewing = 9 mm; 4. T. abusa, Maui, forewing = 13 mm; 5. T. abusa, Maui, forewing = 12 mm; 6. T. abusa, Maui, forewing = 13 mm; 7. T. acetosa (holotype), Kauai, forewing = 10 mm; 8. T. albonubila, Kauai, forewing = 11 mm; 9. T. alterna, Maui, forewing = 11 mm; 10. T. alterna (holotype of T. adumbrata), Hawaii Island, forewing = 11 mm; 11. T. alterna, Hawaii Island, forewing = 15 mm; 12. T. alterna, Hawaii Island, forewing = 13 mm; 13. T. apatela (macropterous morph), Maui, forewing = 9 mm; 14. T. apatela (brachypterous morph), Maui, forewing = 8 mm; 15. T. apikia (holotype), Molokai, forewing = 14 mm.

FIGURES 60 – 74. Antenna and male genitalia of Thyrocopa; lower left box with detail of uncus, lower right box with detail of sacculus. 60. T. decipiens, Molokai, male, antenna; 61. T. vagans, Kauai, male, antenna; 62. T. kea, Kauai, male, abdomen showing transverse bands of spines (slide LA 59 UHIM); 63. T. indecora, Hawaii Island, male, detail showing very shallowly cleft uncus (slide 07 B 25 BPBM); 64. T. indecora, Hawaii Island, male, detail showing sacculus with scooped-out appearance (slide 07 B 25 BPBM); 65. T. abusa, Molokai, male genitalia (slide 31580 BMNH); 66. T. albonubila, Kauai, male genitalia (slide 07 A 85 BPBM); 67. T. alterna, Hawaii Island, male genitalia (slide Jon 2 BPBM); 68. T. apatela (intermediate winged specimen), Maui, male genitalia (slide 05 A 97 HALE); 69. T. apatela (brachypterous morph), Maui, male genitalia (slide 19860 BMNH); 70. T. apatela (macropterous morph), Maui, male genitalia (slide 21906 BMNH); 71. T. apikia, Molokai, male genitalia (slide LA 26 UHIM); 72. T. brevipalpis, Kauai, male genitalia (slide 05 A 75 BPBM); 73. T. cinerella, Kauai, male genitalia (slide 08 A 24 BPBM); 74. T. decipiens, Molokai, male genitalia (slide LA 25 UHIM).