Philodoria wilkesiella Swezey, 1940

Kobayashi, Shigeki, Johns, Chris A. & Kawahara, Akito Y., 2021, Revision of the Hawaiian endemic leaf-mining moth genus Philodoria Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae): its conservation status, host plants and descriptions of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 4944 (1), pp. 1-175 : 59-60

Philodoria wilkesiella Swezey, 1940

Figs. 12D , 26N , 47A , 48A , 49A , 58A , 88A .

Philodoria wilkesiella Swezey, 1940: 464–465 ; Zimmerman 1978a: 718, figs. 467, 473, 480.

Type locality. Puu Kukui (Maui).

Type material. Lectotype ♂, Puu Kukui, Maui, 20.xii.1928, O.H. Swezey Collector, Wilkesia grayana (= Argyroxiphium grayanum ), | Holotype Philodoria wilkesiella Sweszey |, Type no. 4274 in BPBM. Paralectotype missing. Described from nine specimens reared from mines in leaves of “ Wilkesia grayana ”, Puu Kukui , Maui, December 20, 1928. Given the manner in which the description was written, Swezey considered these specimens as holotype and paratypes, as indicated on their specimen label. However, because a holotype was not formally specified in the description, the so-labeled holotype is to be considered syntype under Article 73.2 of the Code( ICZN 1999), and either is eligible for designation as the lectotype under Article 74 of the Code ( ICZN 1999). We formally designate the specimen bearing the label ‘Holotype’ as the lectotype ( Fig. 12D ) and the remaining syntypes are paralectotypes. Zimmerman (1978a) illustrated the genital character with photographs: paratype male, slide no. Z-XII-19-62-18 8, fig. 473; paratype female, Z-XII-19-62-19, ostial plate (corpus bursae missing), fig. 480. We were unable to find the paratype specimens and genital slides in BPBM.

Additional material. 5 (3♂, 2♀) All specimens preserved in BPBM. 3♂, 2♀, Haelaau, Maui, 10.iv.2013 (stored), C.A. Johns leg., adult on Argyroxiphium grayanum, CJ 007 / SK647♂, CJ009 / SK648♂, CJ010 / SK649, CJ012 / SK650, CJ013 / PHIL0007♂ .

Diagnosis. Brownish fuscous ground color with a number of white spots on the forewing ( Fig. 12D ). Philodoria pipturiana Swezey is similar in color pattern of its forewing, but distinguished from P. wilkesiella by its dark fuscous ground color and a white longitudinal basal streak ( Fig. 12A–C ). Genital characters of P. wilkesiella resemble Asteraceae-feeding Philodoria species, e.g., P. epibathra Walsingham and P. naenaeiella (Swezey) . However, it differs in having a valva with a broad apical half and a shorter male saccus. The female has a semicircular shaped lamella antevaginalis and shorter ductus bursae.

Redescription: Adult ( Fig. 12D , 26N ). Wingspan 7 mm in type series; forewing length 3.25 mm in lectotype. Head white; frons white with some brownish scales; maxillary palpus reduced; labial palpus white with a few brownish scales externally. Antenna grayish fuscous, 1.2–1.3x length of forewing. Thorax white with brownish scales at the sides, white beneath. Forewing brownish fuscous with a number of white spots: three dorsal ones, the smaller one near base, two outwardly oblique larger spots at 1/3 and 3/5; a narrow elongate spot at about middle of the costa, two or three white costal spots towards apex, a small transverse white spot at apex and sometimes two or three small spots preceding this in apical area of wing. Cilia gray, dark at base, with a few white scales in vicinity of white spots. Hindwing uniform gray. Abdomen gray. Legs gray, with tarsi banded with white.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 47A , 48A , 49A ) (n=3). Capsule 620 µm. Tegumen 0.7 x length of valva; valva tapering along costal margin from base 2/5 to apex; along the inner side of valva, a series of small spines arranged; apical half of valva straight in lateral view ( Fig. 47A ). Saccus short, stick-shaped ( Fig. 48A ). Phallus 570 µm long, slender with developed coecum ( Fig. 49A ).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 58A ) (n=3). 890–900 µm long. Ostium bursae large; antrum cup-shaped with wavy pair of lateral lobes; lamella antevaginalis 160–170 µm, weakly sclerotized, semicircular in ventral view, widening toward anterior margin of A7. Ductus bursae thick, 270–300 µm. Corpus bursae small 560 µm; paired rows of wrinkles, some sclerotized.

Distribution. Maui ( Swezey 1940).

Host plants. Asteraceae : Argyroxiphium grayanum (Hillebr.) O.Deg. ( Swezey 1940) . The host plant is located on the windy and rainy bogs of the summit of West Maui.

Biology. ( Fig. 88A ). Similar to Dubautia miners, in that its first and second instar larvae mine along the length of the leaf, following leaf veins. Pupation occurs in the cocoon inside of the mine terminus, usually with one or both extremities of the white cocoon exposed ( Fig. 88A ). Three mines per leaf. Adults were observed on the host plant surface during sunny and less windy periods, and then they retreated to the substrate beneath the plant once these conditions subsided.

Remarks. Zimmerman (1978a: 718) mentioned that “one of the few moths known to attack the extraordinary endemic composite Argroxiphium ”. We surveyed other members of Argyroxiphium with glabrous leaves, investigated type locality of this moth, and a population of A. grayanum on east Maui, but leaf mines were not found. We also checked some herbarium plant specimens of this east Maui population, and specimens of the extinct species, A. virescens . No leaf mines were found on these herbarium specimens.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Adults of Philodoria species. A P. pipturiana Swezey, 1923 lectotype male, left lateral view, B Same right lateral view, C Same dorsal view, D P. wilkesiella Swezey, 1940 lectotype male. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 26. Forewing pattern variation in Philodoria. Specimens from recent collection efforts that were preserved in ethanol or RNA stabilization reagent, originally for molecular studies. Wings were placed without mountant under a coverslip. A P. succedanea (sex unknown, CJ419), B P. auromagnifica, male (CJ148/SK689), C P. basalis, female (CJ410), D P. splendida, female (CJ488a), host: Syzygium sp., E P. splendida (sex unknown, CJ488b), host: Syzygium sp., F P. molokaiensis, male (CJ509b/ SK667), G P. sp. A nr. P. lysimachiella, female (CJ346a/SK753), H P. lysimachiella, female (CJ530), lateral view, I P. pipturiella, female (CJ529), J Same species, male (CJ529), K P. haelaauensis, female (CJ209), L Same species, female (CJ216), M P. floscula, female (CJ426/SK845), N P. wilkesiella, male (CJ009/SK649), O P. epibathra, male (CJ506a/SK678), P Same species, female (CJ506b/SK681). Arrows point to diagnostic characters of species: black patch at base (A), basal fascia (D), transverse fasciae (tf) (F, G), white spot (ws) (I, J), white patch (K–M). Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 47. Left valva of Philodoria, inner view. A P. wilkesiella, Maui, PHIL0007, B P. epibathra, Molokai, SK678, C P. dubauticola, Maui, SK646, D P. dubautiella, paralectotype, Oahu SK726, E P. alakaiensis, paratype, Kauai, SK660, F P. limahuliensis, holotype, Kauai, SK731, G P. hibiscella, Oahu, SK684, H P. naenaeiella, paralectotype, Oahu, SK691, I P. knudseniiella, holotype Kauai, SK862, J P. hesperomanniella, holotype, Maui, SK831.

FIGURE 48. Genital capsule of Philodoria, excluding right portion of male genitalia, ventral view. A P. wilkesiella, Maui, PHIL0007, B P. epibathra, Molokai, SK678, C P. dubauticola, Maui SK646, D P. dubautiella, paralectotype, Oahu, SK733, E P. alakaiensis, paratype, Kauai, SK660, F P. limahuliensis, holotype, Kauai, SK731, G P. hibiscella Oahu SK684, H P. naenaeiella paralectotype, Oahu, SK691, I P. knudseniiella, holotype, Kauai, SK862, J P. hesperomanniella, holotype, Maui, SK831.

FIGURE 49. Phallus of Philodoria, lateral view. A P. wilkesiella, Maui, PHIL0007, B P. epibathra, Molokai, SK678, C P. dubauticola, Maui, SK812, D P. dubautiella, paralectotype, Oahu, SK733 E P. alakaiensis, paratype, Kauai, SK660, F P. limahuliensis, holotype, Kauai, SK731, G P. hibiscella, Oahu, SK684, H P. naenaeiella, paralectotype, Oahu, SK691, I P. knudseniiella, holotype, Kauai, SK862, J P. hesperomanniella, holotype, Maui, SK831.

FIGURE 58. Female genitalia of Philodoria. A P. wilkesiella, SK761, B P. epibathra, SK679, C P. dubauticola, SK645, D Same species, PHIL0008, E P. dubautiella, SK692, F P. alakaiensis, paratype, SK659, G Same species, lateral view, H P. hibiscella, SK723, I P. naenaeiella, SK703, J Same species, SK834, K P. knudseniiella, paratype, SK863, L P. hesperomanniella, paratype, SK832, M Same species, SK620.

FIGURE 88. Asteraceae-mining Philodoria with thier host plants. A: P. wilkesiella, West Maui, host: Argyroxiphium grayanum, B–F: P. dubauticola, Haelaau, Maui, same series as CJ073, 074, 077 079, 080, 082–084, 094,111, 255, 256, host: Dubautia laxa, G, H: P. naenaeiella Poamoho, Oahu, same series as CJ130, 131, 140, 142, host: Dubautia sp. 1, I–L: Unidentified Philodoria species, J, K: East Oahu, host: Dubautia sp. 2, I: Eke, Maui, host: D. laxa, L: Kamakou, Molokai. A Old mines and cocoons, B, L Young mine, C, H, J, K Mine of late instar larva, G, D, E, I Mature mine, F Cocoon by final instar larva.Arrows point to cocoon (A) and mine (I).