Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham

28. Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham

(Figs. 46, 90)

Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham, 1907b: 505, plate 15, fig. 2.

Lectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: 3000’ [914 m]: 1 3 (slide 4157 BMNH), 6 Sep 1893, Perkins

(BMNH), designated by Zimmerman, 1978:figs. 665 & 680 (as “ holotype ”).

Paralectotype: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: 3000’ [914 m]: 1 Ƥ, 6 Sep 1893, Perkins (BMNH). Thyrocopa subahenea Walsingham; Zimmerman, 1978: 990, figs. 665, 680.

Diagnosis: Thyrocopa subahenea can be distinguished from the following species that have a similar range: T. abusa has a median dorsal ridge of the uncus lacking in T. subahenea; T. alterna has a lighter ground color; T. apikia has cilia only on the ventral side of the flagellomere; T. geminipuncta has a more rust-brown ground color; T. minor has a short signum; and T. epicapna, T. indecora, and T. apatela have a shallowly cleft uncus compared to the deeply cleft apex of the uncus of T. subahenea.

Description: Head: Scales brown or mottled brown and light brown. Antenna ca. 0.6–0.7x forewing length; very dense, extremely short, piliform cilia surround flagellomere of male, female with slightly longer and much less dense piliform cilia. Labial palpus brown or mottled brown and light brown; third segment ca. 0.9–1.0x length of second. Thorax: Brown. Forewing length 8–12 mm; ground color brown; significant variation in pattern but most often with discal area clouded with poorly defined blackish spots in cell; curving poorly defined whitish band through the terminal area; evenly spaced spots on distal half of costa and along termen at the vein endings, though often faint. Hindwing Brown or light brown; fringe brown or light brown. Abdomen: Light brown. Male genitalia (Fig. 90) with apex of uncus deeply cleft; sacculus short, tapering to sharp apex, with scooped-out appearance. Female genitalia typical for genus, signum long.

Food plants: Unknown.

Flight period: Year-round.

Distribution: Molokai, Maui.

Remarks: Very similar to T. usitata, but occurs on Molokai and Maui.

Additional material examined: UNITED STATES: HAWAII: Molokai: 1 mile N. Puu Kolekole, 4000’ [1219 m]: 1 3 (slide MJM13), 26 Jul 1979, S.L. Montgomery (BPBM); 3000’ [914 m]: 1 3, 16 Sep 1893, Perkins (BMNH); Kamakou, Puu Kolekole: 3 3 (slide 07A51), 7 Ƥ (slides 07A35 & 07A41), 21–23 May 2007, M.J. Medeiros & J. Dresel (BPBM); Molokai FR, Hanalilolilo Tr., 3500’ [1069 m]: 1 Ƥ (slide 31573 BMNH), 1 Aug 1973, K. & E. Sattler (BMNH); Pepepae Bog Trail, “Kamakou 4:” 1 3 (slide LA29), 6 Jul 2005, D. Rubinoff (UHIM). Maui: Puu Kukui, 850–900 m: 5 3 (slides MJM3, MJM47 & MJM 48), 5 Ƥ, 9 Oct–30 Mar 1972, J.L. Gressitt (BPBM); Pu’u Kukui Watershed, Kaluanui Valley, “Banana patch”: 1 3 (slide LA30), 5 Apr 2006, W. Haines (UHIM).