Hyposmocoma molluscivora Description

Abstract

In our brevia “Web-Spinning Caterpillar stalks snails” (22 July 2005, p. [575][1]), we reported a new species of cosmopterigid moth, Hyposmocoma molluscivor a. The species description was given in the Supporting Online Material; however, according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the formal description must appear in print to make the name officially available. The description follows. ![Figure][2] Hyposmocoma molluscivora . Type specimen. ![Figure][2] Male genitalia ventral aspect. Hyposmocoma molluscivora Rubinoff & Haines, new species Male. Length of forewing: 6 mm, ( n = 1). Head. Creamy dull white with scattered fuscous scales. Labial palpi prominent, recurved, mostly black. Antenna uniformly black, unscaled except for small white mark on dorsal side of elongated first basal segment; vertex same color as rest of head. Thorax. Dorsal scaling similar to that of head centrally but with more fuscous scales, abruptly becoming black at periphery where joining at base of costal margin of wing. Underside black toward head, abruptly becoming white with few fuscous scales toward abdomen. Legs. Prothoracic legs mostly black. Mesothoracic legs basally white abruptly becoming black, metathoracic legs same pattern. Tibial spurs prominent, off-white. Forewing: (see left panel of figure) very elongate, narrow, 6 times longer than broad. Ground color a lustrous white overlaid extensively with indistinct pattern of fuscous scales over upper (costal) ⅔ of wing, sometimes dense enough to appear as black spots, posterior ⅓ mostly white, fuscous scales becoming very sparse with distinct, undulating margin, except apical lower ⅓ remaining mostly fuscous like rest of forewing. Hindwing. More lanceolate than forewing, 7 times longer than broad. Subcostal brush (fig. S1) ([1][3]) prominent, dark brown, extending ⅔ the length of hindwing. Lustrous light gray with long concolorous fringe maximum length nearly half as long as hindwing. Abdomen uniformly dark gray. Genitalia as in the right panel of the figure and fig. S2 ([1][3]). Pseuduncus elongate, curved, attenuated distally into sharp point; aedeagus stout, prominent, blunt tipped; anellus lobes ⅓ length of uncus, broadened and setose distally, left lobe with distinctly broader tip; valva broadened distally, with four prominent, broad, uniformly spaced spurs, sequentially longer distally. Male. HOLOTYPE. HAWAII: Maui, Makawao Forest Reserve. Elevation 920 m. GPS coordinates (UTM, NAD83): 04Q 783924, 2305563. Adult emerged III-23-05. (W. Haines, C. King collectors). Deposited in the University of Hawaii Insect Museum, on indefinite loan to the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii. Hyposmocoma molluscivora is most similar and may be sympatric with Hyposmocoma lebetella Walsingham in montane wet forest areas of East Maui. The taxa can be easily distinguished by differences in forewing pattern, and the presence of the subcostal brush in H. molluscivora , but absent in male H. lebetella . Hyposmocoma molluscivora larvae form elongate, almost cylindrical cases of silk, algae, and small snail shells. The larvae use silk to attach resting snails to leaves and then force their way out into the snail's shell to feed (fig. S3) ([1][3]). 1. 1.[↵][4]Supporting Online Material is available at [www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/311/5766/1377a/DC1][5]. 2. 2.We thank M. Bryce, F. Starr, and K. Starr for bringing specimens to our attention; B. Holland and R. Cowie of the University of Hawaii for identifying snail specimens; and F. Duvall for access to the Makawao Forest Reserve. J. Powell of UC Berkeley provided very helpful comments. W. Haines was supported by a National Science Foundation GK-12 grant (#DGE-0232016) awarded to the University of Hawaii's Center for Conservation Research and Training, K. Y. Kaneshiro, principal investigator. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1110397 [2]: pending:yes [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [5]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/311/5766/1377a/DC1