Philodoria basalis Walsingham 1907
Creators: name: Kobayashi, Shigeki
name: Johns, Chris A.
name: Kawahara, Akito Y.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gracillariidae
Philodoria
Philodoria basalis

description: Philodoria basalis Walsingham, 1907
Figs. 8C–F, 26C, 34D, 37A, 40E–H, 41I, 42H, 43H, 61H, 81.
Philodoria basalis Walsingham, 1907: 720, pl. 5, fig. 24; Zimmerman 1978a: 695, figs. 468, 475.
Type locality. Olinda (Haleakala), 4000 ft (Maui).
Type material. Lectotype ♀ (=“Type ♂ (26666) Mus. Wlsm” in original description), Olinda, 4000ft, Haleakala, Maui, iv. 1894, Perkins 26666, B.M. ♀ Genitalia slide no. 3952 | PHILODORIA BASALIS, Wlsm. Fn. Hawaii. I. TYPE ♂ descr. figd.| Walsingham Collection. 1910—427.| NHMUK010305331 in NHMUK (here designated). Paralectotype ♂, same locality as holotype, v. 1896, Perkins 28541 | Philodoria basalis ♂ Wlsm PARATYPE 1/1 descr. figd.| Walsingham Collection. 1910—427.| NHMUK 010305332 in NHMUK. Described from two specimens: ‘Type ♂ (26666)’ and ‘paratype’ from Maui. This may indicate that Lord Walsingham considered them as holotype and paratype, as indicated on the specimen label. But because a holotype was not specified in the description, the so-labeled holotype and paratype are 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 ♂ (26666)’ (= ♀) is here designated as lectotype (Fig. 8C), and the other syntype is the paralectotype.
Additional material. 41 (17♂, 20♀, 4 sex unknown). Maui, in BPBM: 1♀, 2 (sex unknown), Keanae, 22.viii.1918, BPBM 34151; 1 (sex unknown), Makawao forest Reserve, 7.v.2013 (stored), C.A. Johns leg., host: Metrosideros polymorpha, 13.iv.2013, CJ112, KT982411; 2♂, 2♀, Makawao For. Res., Flume Rd. 1296 m, N20.80720 W 156.25259, 10–11.v.2013 (UV Bucket trap 1), A. Prestes & W. Haines leg., SK635–638. Hawaii (Big Island): 1♂, S. Kona, 8.viii.1919, O.H. Swezey Collector, “Ohia”, BPBM 34148; 1♀, Upper Hamakua Ditch Trail, Kohala Mts., 4.ix.1919, O.H. Swezey Collector, “Ohia Lehua”, Z-XII-20-62-4 (“Slight vari”), BPBM 34152; host: M. polymorpha in BPBM: 1♂, Kohala Watershed Partnership, 4.vi.2015 (stored), C.A. Johns leg., 18.v.2015, CJ416, SK775♂; 2♂, 1♀, Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve, Hawaii, 30.v.& 13.vi.2015 (stored), C.A. Johns leg., 7.v.2015, CJ410, CJ430 / SK776♂, CJ431 / SK778♂; 4♂, 12♀, 1 (sex unknown), same locality, 3.v.–6.vi.2016 em., A.Y. Kawahara leg., 1.v.2016, SKH-09-1 / SK 615♀, SK 616♀, 617♀; 1♂, Volcanoes National Park, Thurston Lava Tube, 24.v.2016 em., C.L.-Vaamonde & C. Doorenweerd leg., 22.iv.2016, HILO019; 4♂, 2♀, Same locality, 16–28.v.2016 em., A.Y. Kawahara leg., 27.iv.2016 (larva); 3♂, 1♀, same locality, 28–29.iv.2016 (light trap). In NHMUK: 1♂, Hawaii 1300’, S. Hilo Distr., Waiakea F. R., Stainback Highway, 21.vi.1976, K. & E. Sattler, B.M.1976-605, Philodoria sp. 11 (Hawaii) Sattler Coll., D. C. Lees Sep. 2016, BMNH(E)1621300; 1♂, Hawaii 1300’, S. Hilo District, Upper Waiakea F. R., Stainback Highway, 9.vii.1976, K. & E. Sattler, B.M.1976-605, Philodoria sp. 11 (Hawaii) Sattler Coll., D. C. Lees Sep. 2016, BMNH(E)1621134; 1♂, Hawaii 2800’, Kau District, Ocean View, 20.vi.1976, K. & E. Sattler, B.M.1976-605, Philodoria sp. 10B cf splendida (Hawaii [=Big Island]) Sattler Coll., D. C. Lees Sep. 2016, BMNH(E)1621065; 1♂, Hawaii 6200’, Kau District, Kahuku Ranch, Punaluu Kahawai, 4.viii.1976, K. & E. Sattler, B.M.1976-605, Philodoria sp. 15 (Hawaii [=Big Island]) Sattler Coll., D. C. Lees Sep. 2016, BMNH(E)1621320; 1♂ 1♀, Kilauea, Hawaii (Big Island), at light (= light trap), 20& 21.v.1915, A. Busck Collector, deposited in USNM.
Diagnosis. A leaden gray patch covers the entire lower (anal vein) portion of forewing (Fig. 8C–F). The male genitalia has a broad valva with a short dorsal process, a rather broad and shorter capsule, and a broad phallus. The female has a sclerotized lamella antevaginalis and oblong pod-shaped signa similar to those of P. splendida Walsingham and P. lama sp. n.
Redescription: Adult (Fig. 8C–F, 34D). Wingspan 8–10 mm; forewing length 4.5 mm in holotype, 3.8–4.3 mm in the additional specimens examined. Head leaden gray; frons white; maxillary palpus reduced; labial palpus white (Fig. 34D, 37A). Antenna grayish fuscous. Thorax: grayish fuscous. Forewing leaden gray suffused with pale brown patches enclosing dark gray fascia; tf from costal 1/3 to dorsal 1/2, tp after the middle to apical portion, distinctly narrowing near the dorsum, containing two short, shining, steel gray costal spots; apical portion with large jet-black terminal patch from tornus to apex, containing two upright steel-gray spots near its opposite extremities; a single bright silvery dot in its middle; a very narrow ocherous line along the base of tornus; cilia shiny, leaden gray with a blackish fringe line; two white costal streaks, longer streak extends to apex; terminal cilia often black. Hindwing tawny black; cilia tawny gray. Abdomen grayish fuscous above, banded with white beneath. Legs pale graysih fuscous, spurs white.
Male genitalia (Figs. 41I, 42H, 43H): new record (n=4). Capsule 750 µm. Tegumen 1.1–1.2 x length of valva; valva 500 µm long, rather broad and having a knob-shaped dorsal process; dorsal process densely covered with minute spines ventrally and on inner margin (Fig. 41I). Saccus rather short, broad, slightly narrowing in the middle (Fig. 42H). Phallus 650 µm long, rather broad; two series of cornuti large and developed in vesica (Fig. 43H).
Female genitalia (Fig. 40E–H, 61H; Zimmerman 1978a: fig. 474) (n=3). 1450 µm long. Ostium bursae broad; antrum very short and wide; lamella antevaginalis 200 µm, semicircular (Fig. 40F, H). End of ductus bursae broad, connecting in dorsal portion of anterior part of corpus bursae; corpus bursae about 1000 µm long; anterior end of corpus bursae weakly sclerotized; some lines consisting of wrinkles running longitudinally, some sclerotized; paired signa oblong and podlike with a series of minute spines (Fig. 40G, H).
Distribution. Maui (Walsingham, 1907) and Hawaii (Big island) (Zimmerman 1978a).
Host plants. Myrtaceae: Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudich. (present study), Metrosideros sp. (Zimmerman 1978a).
Biology. (Fig. 81). Zimmerman (1978a: 695) reported the cocoon and mature larval habit based on Swezey's observations. We observed larvae on multiple occasions. Early instar larvae form a slender, linear mine on the adaxial leaf surface that gradually expands into a larger blotch mine as the larva feeds and grows (Fig. 81A, G). Mines ~ 5 cm in length, brownish pale green; older mines turn dark brown to pale grayish ocherous and redish brown (Fig. 81B). One or two mines per leaf (Fig. 81E). The larva nearly always causes the leaf to dehisce from the plant, leading to the mined leaf to fall to the ground. Fully grown larvae exit the mine, and cut an oval ring into the upper (adaxial) epidermis of the bloch mine (Fig. 81J). The oval epidermis is folded by the final instar larva by using silk to pulling two ends of the outer surface of the epidermis, creating a “taco”-like cocoon (5.0–6.0 mm in length and 1.5–2.0 mm in width), which hardens and becomes bronze-colored over time (Fig. 81B, K–M). The taco often falls out of the oval cut-out in the leaf and falls beneath the leaf litter (Fig. 81C), but can occasionally remain attached (Fig. 81C, D, F). We suspect it may help avoid parasitoids and other predators while being in a humid environment. The penultimate and final instar larvae are approximately 4–5 mm long and pale yellow (Fig. 81H, I). During the day, adults rest on adaxial side of leaves of Melicope species, Rutaceae (not a Philodoria host plant) at Mt. Kaala on Oahu.
Parasitoids. Eulophidae: Euderus metallicus (Ashmead, 1901) (Zimmerman 1978a).
Remarks. We identified one adult moth (Coll ID CJ-112 / GenBank accession no. ID KT982411) as P. basalis, based on a leaden gray patch covering the entire lower portion of forewing, from which whole bodies were sacrificed for molecular analysis (Johns et al. 2016). William Haines (pers. comm.) collected> 10 adults of this species in UV Bucket trap at one night in Makawao Forest Reserve, Maui (10–11.v.2013).
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 1-175 in Zootaxa 4944 (1) on pages 36-38, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4944.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4681813