Thyrocopa epicapna Meyrick
Creators: name: Medeiros, Matthew J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Oecophoridae
Thyrocopa
Thyrocopa epicapna

description: 11. Thyrocopa epicapna (Meyrick)
(Figs. 23, 76)
Synomotis epicapna Meyrick, 1883a: 33. Type species of Synomotis.
Lectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: 1 3 (slide 4075 BMNH has the wings of this specimen but the genitalia are not those of Thyrocopa; the wrong abdomen was glued onto the specimen; the actual abdomen is lost), 1899, Blackburn (BMNH), designated by Zimmerman 1978: fig. 657 (as “ holotype ”).
Paralectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: 1 3, 1899, Blackburn (BMNH).
Thyrocopa epicapna (Meyrick), Walsingham, 1907b: 500, plate 14, fig. 21.
Thyrocopa epicapna (Meyrick); Zimmerman, 1978: 986, figs. 657, 673.
Thyrocopa pulverulenta Walsingham 1907b: 500, plate 14, fig. 20.
Lectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Hawaii Island: Kona, 4000’ [1219 m]: 1 3 (slide 4153 BMNH), Jul 1892, Perkins (BMNH), designated by Zimmerman, 1978: figs. 662, 679 (as “ holotype ”).
Paralectotypes: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Hawaii Island: Kona, 4000’ [1219 m]: 7 3, Jun–Sep 1892, Perkins (BMNH); Kona, 4000‘ [1219 m]: 4 3 (two missing abdomen), Jul–Sep 1892, Perkins (BPBM).
Thyrocopa pulverulenta Walsingham; Zimmerman, 1978, figs. 662 & 679. NEW SYNONYMY.
Diagnosis: Thyrocopa epicapna is morphologically very similar to T. apatela and T. kikaelekea, but it can be separated based on its range: T. epicapna occurs at lower elevations on Maui and Hawaii Islands. The wing pattern of Thyrocopa epicapna has somewhat smaller, more defined blackish spots than either T. apatela or T. kikaelekea. On other islands where T. epicapna occurs, it can be confused with several species. It differs from T. abusa by its lack of a median ridge on the dorsal part of the uncus. It differs from T. kanaloa, T. seminatella, and T. usitata by having a much shallower apical cleft in the uncus.
Description: Head: Generally brown, with scales much lighter brown near apices. Antenna ca. 0.6–0.7x forewing length; very dense, very short, piliform cilia on ventral side (typical in non-Hawaii Island individuals) and sometimes projecting from all sides of flagellomere (typical in Hawaii Island individuals) in male, cilia only on ventral side, and much less dense, in female. Labial palpus brown or more commonly mottled brown and very light brown; third segment ca. 0.9–1.0x length of second. Thorax: Brown. Forewing length 8–11 mm; forewing ground color brown, sometimes with darker or lighter scales scattered throughout; often one or two faint, poorly defined blackish spots in cell and sometimes with evenly spaced spots on distal half of costa and along termen at vein endings. Hindwing light brown to brown except anal margin, which is sometimes darker, fringe light brown to brown. Abdomen: Light brown to brown. Male genitalia (Fig. 76) with uncus scarcely cleft apically; sacculus short and tapering to sharp tip. Female genitalia typical for genus; signum long.
Food plants: According to Zimmerman (1978), records by Swezey (1910e:138) of larvae at the base of grass tufts and in rotten wood may be based on misidentifications are likely are incorrect.
Flight Period: Year-round.
Distribution: Kauai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, Hawaii, and possibly Oahu. Regarding epicapna, Zimmerman (1978) wrote, “The type locality is unknown. Meyrick had two Blackburn examples when he described the species, but no locality data are on the specimens other than’Hawaii, 1899, Blackburn.’ Perhaps the type locality is on neither Kauai nor Hawaii; it might be Oahu.” I have never seen any specimens from Oahu, and if the Blackburn specimens were from Oahu, this species may no longer occur there.
Remarks: No female pulverulenta were identified among the material in the BMNH. Walsingham was not sure that epicapna and pulverulenta were different species but did not have enough material to decide. A specimen was found at sea level on Kauai in 1892 by Perkins, and this species still persists at sea level; it was collected at Kahului Airport in 2000 and 2003. This species also occurs at higher elevations.
In his discussion of epicapna Zimmerman (1978) wrote: “A female abdomen was glued to the type, but it belongs to a species of a different family! Walsingham (1907b: 501) said that there were ’four specimens in poor condition’ in the Blackburn material, and he said, ’Perhaps a small form of pulverulenta Wlsm., but the original specimens are not in sufficiently good condition for critical comparison. The Kauai and Hawaii specimens vary but appear to be epicapna Meyr …’”
A specimen in the Bishop Museum has a label that states “ Synomotis epicapna sec. T. Bl.” with another small label below: “R.C.L. Perkins collection.” I assume that this moth was collected by Blackburn, but I do not know where or when.
Additional material examined: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: 1 3, T. Bl. (Blackburn? See note above) (BPBM); 2 3, 1899, Blackburn (BMNH); Kauai: 3400’ [1036 m], Kokee St. Park, Halemanu: 1 3, 23 Aug 1973, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Makaweli (sea level): 1 3, 1 Ƥ, Jun 1894 – Apr 1895, Perkins (BMNH). Lanai: Kanepu’u Preserve: 1 3 (slide 07A19), 16 May 2007, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM); Kahoolawe: Hakioawa, D4 Planting Area: 1 3 (slide 08A43), 20 Oct 2008, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM); Kealaikahiki, Keana Keiki beach: 2 Ƥ, 21 Oct 2008, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM); Maui: 15 m, Kahului Airport, A’alele dump area: 1 3, 28 Mar 2000, F.G. Howarth, D.J. Preston, G.A. Samuelson, et al. (BPBM); Kahului Airport, AOA, wetland: 1 3, 2 Feb 2000, F.G. Howarth, D.J. Preston, J.E. Dockall, F. Starr, & K. Martz (BPBM); Kahului Airport, clearing nr. Malaise site #1: 1 3, 2 Feb 2000, F.G. Howarth, D.J. Preston, J.E. Dockall, F. Starr, & K. Martz (BPBM); Kahului Airport, Crash site nr. Bike path: 1 Ƥ, 30 Apr 2000, F.G. Howarth, D.J. Preston, G.A. Samuelson, A. Allison, R.E. Englund, K. Martz, & F. Starr (BPBM); Kahului Airport, Kanaha Pond: 1 Ƥ (slide LA79), 3 Feb 2000, F.G. Howarth, D.J. Preston, F. Starr, & K. Martz (BPBM); Kahului Airport, Kanaha Pond: 1 Ƥ, 26 Jul 2003, F.G. Howarth, F. & K. Starr, & J. Dockall (BPBM); Kahului Airport, nr. N. AOA fenceline: 5 3 (slides LA76 & LA81), 26 Apr 2000, F.G. Howarth, D.J. Preston, G.A. Samuelson, K. Martz, & F. Starr (BPBM);
Kahului Airport, Kanaha Pond Res: 1 3, 2 Mar 2000, J. Dockall, D.J. Preston & F.G. Howarth (BPBM); Kahului Airport, Kanaha Pond Res: 1 Ƥ, 26 Jul 2003, F.G. Howarth, F & K Starr, J. Dockall (BPBM); Kahului Airport, Wetspot #1 near beach: 1 3, 24 Jul 2003, F.G. Howarth, F & K Starr (BPBM); Kahului Airport, Woodland, E. end of A’alele St. Haleakala Rd.: 1 Ƥ, 5 Mar 2000, D.J. Preston, J.E. Dockall, F. Starr, & K. Martz (BPBM); Kula, near Copp Rd.: 1 3 (slide 04A36), 16 Jul 2004, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM); Hawaii Island: 2600’ [792 m], Volcanoes National Park, Ainahou Ranch: 4 3 (slide 28756 BMNH), 2 Ƥ, 28 Jun–5 Jul 1973, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Jagger Museum: 1 3 (slide 06A46), 26 May 2006, M.J. Medeiros (HAVO); Kona, 4000’ [1219 m]: 2 3 (slide 9602 Clarke, BMNH), 13 Aug 1892, Perkins (BMNH); N. Kona, Kaloko, 500’ [152 m]: 1 Ƥ (slide LA19), 22 Jan 2002, S.L. Montgomery (BPBM); Pohakuloa Tr. Area, MPRC control center: 1 3 (slide MJM38), 1 Ƥ, 13 Dec 1992, G.M. Nishida (BPBM); Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea Iki Trail, 3900’ [1189 m]: 1 3, 10 Jun 1973, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Waimea, Parker Ranch, Puu Pa, 2600’ [792 m]: 1 3 (slide LA21), 7–11 Nov 1996, S.L. Montgomery (BPBM).
description: Published as part of Medeiros, Matthew J., 2009, A revision of the endemic Hawaiian genus Thyrocopa (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae: Xyloryctinae), pp. 1-47 in Zootaxa 2202 on pages 19-21, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.275119