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

description: 3. Thyrocopa albonubila Walsingham
(Figs. 8, 66)
Thyrocopa albonubila Walsingham, 1907b: 495, plate 14, fig. 11.
Lectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Kauai: Mts. 3000–4000’ [914–1219 m]: 1 3 (slide 4049 BMNH), Jun 1894, Perkins (BMNH), designated by Zimmerman 1978: figs. 653, 671 (as “ holotype ”).
Paralectotypes: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Kauai: Mts. 3000–4000’ [914–1219 m]: 1 3, 2 Ƥ, Jun 1894, Perkins (BMNH); Mts. 3000–4000’ [914–1219 m]: 2 3 (one mounted on a slide), May–Jun 1894, Perkins (BPBM). Thyrocopa albonubila Walsingham; Zimmerman, 1978: 937, figs. 653, 671, plate 5, fig. 3.
Diagnosis: T. albonubila is the only Kauai Thyrocopa that has a white forewing with conspicuous black spots.
Description: Head: Scales generally light brown to light whitish-grey. Antenna ca. 0.6–0.7x forewing length; very dense, very short, piliform cilia on ventral side of flagellomere on both 3 and Ƥ, broad silvery scales on dorsal side of proximal segments of flagellomere. Labial palpus mostly white on second segment, mostly brown on third; third segment ~0.8x length of second. Thorax: Very light brown to whitish-grey. Forewing length 10–13 mm; forewing ground color mottled brown to very light whitish-grey; discal area clouded with poorly defined blackish spots; curving poorly defined whitish band through terminal area; evenly spaced spots on distal half of costa and along termen at vein endings. Hindwing light brownish-grey, except anal margin sometimes darker brown; fringe white. Abdomen: Light whitish-grey. Male genitalia (Fig. 66) with uncus scarcely cleft apically; sacculus short and blunt-ended. Female genitalia typical of genus; signum long.
Food plants: Unknown.
Flight period: Year-round.
Distribution: Kauai.
Remarks: According to Zimmerman (1978: 937), “The Swezey references to this species (1910e:138; 1931b:502) belong to argentea ”. T. albonubila is one of the more common Thyrocopa at Kokee State Park.
Additional material examined: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Kauai: Kaholuamano: 1 Ƥ, Apr 1920, J.A. Kusche (BPBM); Kokee: 1 3, 20 Aug 1959, J.W. Beardsley (BPBM), 1 3 (slide MJM34), 22 Jul 1968, D.M. Tsuda (?) (BPBM); Kokee St. Park: 6 3, 8 Ƥ (slide MJM33), 18 Jul 1980 – 22 Aug 1987, J.C.E. Riotte (BPBM); Kokee St. Park, 1060 m: 2 3, 4 Ƥ (slide MJM30; one missing abdomen), 19 Jun–11 Jul 1979, J.C.E. Riotte & R. & E. Rice (BPBM); Kokee St. Park, 1140 m: 2 Ƥ, 1 Jun 1973, F.G. Howarth (BPBM); Kokee St. Park, Halemanu, 3400’ [1036 m]: 1 Ƥ, 23 Aug 1973, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Kokee St. Park, Honopu Tr., 4000’ [1219 m]: 4 Ƥ (slide 21911 BMNH), 22–28 Aug 1973, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Kokee St. Park, Kaluapuhi Tr.: 1 3 (slide 07A73), 25 May 2007, 1 3 (slide 07B58), 9 Dec 2007, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM); Kokee St. Park, Kauila Cabin: 1 3 (slide 07A85), 26 May 2007, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM); Kokee St. Park, Kaunuohua Ridge (Milolii Ridge Rd.), 3600’ [1097 m]: 2 Ƥ, 1 Jul 1982, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Kokee St. Park, Kumuwela Ridge, Waininiua Tr., 3800’ [1158 m]: 1 3, 1 Ƥ, 24 Jun 1982, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Kokee St. Park, Makaha Rd.: 1 3 (slide 06A04), 17 Jun 2005, P.T. Oboyski; Kokee St. Park, Nu’alolo Tr.: 2 3, 7–8 Dec 2007, M.J. Medeiros (BPBM); Kokee St. Park, Rice Residence: 1 3, 11 Jun 1978, E. Perry (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 10-11, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.275119