Eccoptocera kukona, Austin Daniel Rubinoff & nov, 2024

Eccoptocera kukona , sp. nov.

Figs. 1M–P View Figure 1 ; 4C View Figure 4 , 7F View Figure 7 , 9B D View Figure 9 ia g no si s. E c c op t o cera k u k o n a (Kauaʻi) is most similar to E. foetorivorans (Butler) , which is not known from Kauaʻi and averages slightly smaller (FWL 6.3–7.7 in E. kukona , 4.2–7.1 mm in E. foetorivorans ). Males can be distinguished most easily by their red-orange tegulae (dark brown or gray in some specimens), and rounded uncus (triangular in E. foetorivorans ). Females are exceedingly similar to E. foetorivorans , but are typically darker, with less contrasting coloration on the forewing, often with mahogany or orange scales throughout. There is a conspicuous cup-like cavity on the left side of the ostium of E. kukona (this structure is absent or only weakly developed in E. foetorivorans ), but it is easily obscured in slide-mounted or inadequately stained genitalia preparations.

Type material. Holotype: Kauaʻi: ♂, Nā Pali-Kona F [orest] R[eserve], Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve, Mōhihi-Waiʻalae Trail; 22.1159, -159.6010; 1080m; 16 iii 2024; K. A. Austin, G. Talaber; UVLED light sheet / DNA extraction KA1148 / KAA diss. #1194 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . Paratypes (69♂♂, 67♀♀). Kauaʻi: 3♂♂, 11♀♀, same data as holotype / DNA extractions KA1145, KA1146, KA1147 / KAA diss. #1191(♀), #1192(♀), #1193(♀) GoogleMaps . 7♂♂, 4♀♀, Nā Pali-Kona F[orest] R[eserve], Alakaʻi Swamp Trail; 22.1391, –159.62442; 1160m; 16–17 iii 2024; K. A. Austin, G. Talaber; UV bucket trap / DNA extractions KA1150, KA1151, KA1152, KA1153 / KAA diss. #1196(♂), #1197(♀), #1198(♀), #1199(♀) ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 7♂♂, Nā Pali-Kona F[orest] R[eserve], Mākaha Valley; 22.1211, -159.6855; 920m; 16–17 iii 2024; K. A. Austin, G. Talaber; UV bucket trap / DNA extraction KA1154 / KAA diss. #1200 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 3♂♂, 2♀♀, Nā Pali-Kona F [orest] R[eserve], Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve , Waiʻalae Cabin; 22.0826, -159.5855; 1110m; 21–23 ii 2024; K. A. Austin; UVLED light sheet / DNA extractions KA0981, KA0982, KA0983, KA0984, KA0985 / KAA diss. #1174(♀), #1175(♀), #1176(♂), #1177(♂), #1178(♂) ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 1♀, Nā Pali-Kona F[orest] R[eserve], Puʻukī-Waiʻalae Trail, 0.5 mi S of Waiʻalae Cabin; 22.0777, -159.5876; 1120m; 21–22 ii 2024; K. A. Austin; UV bucket trap / DNA extraction KA0980 / KAA diss. #1173 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 4♂♂, 12♀♀, Nā Pali-Kona F [orest] R[eserve], Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve , S of Wai [a]koali Bog 1; 22.1292, -159.5782; 1260m; 12–14 vii 2023; K. A. Austin et al.; UVLED light sheet / DNA extractions KA0870, KA0871, KA0872, KA0873, KA0875, KA0876, KA0877(♂) / KAA diss. #1095(♀), #1096(♀), #1097(♀), #1098(♀), #1100(♂), #1101(♂), #1102(♂) GoogleMaps . 3♂♂, 5♀♀, Nā Pali-Kona F[orest] R[eserve], Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve , Wai [a]koali Bog 1; 22.1297, -159.5780; 1265m; 13–14 vii 2023; K. A. Austin; [UV] bucket trap ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 6♂♂, 7♀♀, Nā Pali-Kona F[orest] R[eserve], Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve, N of Wai [a]koali Bog 1; 22.1300, -159.5780; 1265m; 12–13 vii 2023; K. A. Austin; [UV] bucket trap ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 13♂♂, 11♀♀, Nā Pali-Kona F[orest] R[eserve], Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve, NE of Wai [a]koali Bog 1; 22.1300, -159.5774; 1260m; 12–13 vii 2023; K. A. Austin; [UV] bucket trap ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 1♂, Nā Pali-Kona Forest Reserve , Alakaʻi Wild [erness] Pres [erve];edgeofWaiakoali Bog 1; 22.1294, -159.5775; 1260m; 8–10 ii 2022; K. A. Austin; UVLED light sheet / DNA extraction KA0439 / KAA diss. #0696 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 1♀, Kōkeʻe State Park , Awaʻawapuhi Trail; 22.1428, -159.6538; 1235m; 11 vii 2023; K. A. Austin; UVLED light sheet / DNA extraction 0874 / KAA diss. #1099 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 3♂♂, Kōkeʻe State Park , Honopu Trail; 22.1466, -159.6504; 1250m; 23–24 iii 2022; K. A. Austin; [UV] bucket trap / DNA extractions KA0485, KA0486, KA0487 / KAA diss.#0730,#0731,#0732 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 3♂♂, Haleleʻa F[orest] R[eserve], Upper Hanalei Valley , along Hanalei River; 22.1007, -159.4661; 285m; 26–27 v 2022; K. A. Austin, J. B. Reil; [UV] bucket trap / DNA extractions KA0575, KA0576 / KAA diss. #0800, #0801 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 1♀, same as previous except 22.1018, -159.4647; 265m; UVLED light sheet / DNA extraction KA0574 / KAA diss. #0799 ( UHIM) GoogleMaps . 13♂♂, 11♀♀, Alakaʻi Swamp , 159° 37’ W, 22° 9’ N [22.1500, -159.6167]; [large range of dates from 3 xi 1998 – 8 ix 2000]; / M. L. Henneman; ex. Metrosideros polymorpha (BPBM) GoogleMaps . 1♂, Alakaʻi Swamp , 159° 37’ W, 22° 8’ N [22.1333, -159.6167]; 13 x 1998; M. L. Henneman / ex. Metrosideros polymorpha (BPBM) GoogleMaps . 1♂, same as previous except 10 viii 1999; G. Hatt, A. Orne ( BPBM) . 1♂, Alakaʻi Swamp , 159° 37’ W, 22° 8–9’ N [22.1500–22.1333, -159.6167]; 1 vi 1999; M. L. Henneman ( BPBM) . 1♀, same as previous except 9 viii 1999 ( BPBM) .

Description. Male (n=70). Head. Scales on frons with long, erect, dark brown scales on dorsal half, occasionally with short gray scales laterally; scaling on vertex long, dense, dark brown, often with apices ashy gray, especially medially, giving the head a strongly frosty appearance; labial palpus with scaling dark brown, often with scattered gray scales, especially at dorsal base of second segment; second segment with scaling greatly expanded; terminal segment rarely with reddish-orange scales; medial surface pale gray. Ocellus separated from compound eye by less than 0.5× of ocellus, nearly confluent in some specimens. Scape with scaling dark brown, often heavily intermixed with gray scales; antennal notch present; sensillae short, no more than 0.5× width of flagellomere; dorsal scales of flagellum dark brown. Thorax. Dorsumwithscaling silver or gray, occasionally with dark brown patches laterally, rarely with a large dark brown patch at posterior margin; tegulae with scaling dark brown at base, often with reddish-orange scales at apex, occasionally entirely gray or dark brown. Lateral surface of foreleg with scaling dark brown, often with apices of scales gray, tarsi ringed with gray; midleg and hindlegwithfemurpaler,remainderofleg only rarely with bicolored scales. Dorsal surface of FW ( Fig. 1M View Figure 1 ; FWL: 6.3–7.6 mm) with costal fold to approximately 0.55× FW length; ground color dark brown to black, often with intermixed reddish-orange scales; dorsal strigulae variably developed, most often white or light gray, but occasionally darker gray or nearly obscured, often entirely shaded between with nearly concolorous light gray, less commonly well-separated with darker scales; basal strigulae typically only present as a small gray patch of scales near the base of inner margin; medianstrigulaevariablydeveloped, often present as a small triangular patch of gray scales, rarely extending onto costal fold, where it can be gray or reddish-orange; subterminal fasciae well-developed, broad, parallel-sided, complete to near end of cell. Ocelloid patch composed of 5-6 silver patches of varying size in a U-shaped arrangement on a variable field of black, gray, white, or red field; open on the costal half; with 3 short black streaks on the inner surface of the distal margin. Four pairs of costal strigulae present, white, but often heavily obscured by metallic blue-gray scaling such that very littlewhiteisvisible.Smallsubapicalnotch present along termen; fringe variable, most often gray or black scales, apices white.Ventral surface of FW brown,small patches of pale gray or white present at costal strigulae, but often faint, typically only terminal pair visible. Dorsal surface of HW entirely brown, paler basally; cubitalpectenwell-developed; analregion with a small extension. Ventral surface of HW pale brown. Abdomen. Vestiture of abdomen grayish-brown. Genitalia ( Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ) with uncus with a short neck and a broad, slightly inflated, rounded apex; socius present as a slightly elevated patch bearing moderately long, hair-like setae; tegumen high, arching, with long, hair-like setae on lateral surface; gnathos present as a pair of triangular lobes and a pair of weakly sclerotized, thin arms; valvae slender, curved, asymmetrical; base of valvae swollen, with a large subtriangular basal excavation; neck of valvae slightly constricted; cucullus well-developed, with a small dorsal, mound-like inflation; apex of cucullus with a large, sharp, ventrally directed spike-like process; right valva slightly longer, more curved than left valva; juxta broad, triangular; caulis long, fused to anellus phallus robust, slightly irregular and swollen at base, with long, upcurved apical extension; vesica with a dense patch of long, thin, deciduous, spine-like cornuti.

Female (n=67). Head. Similar to male except antenna without antennal notch. Thorax. Similar to male except slightly larger ( Figs 1N–P View Figure 1 ; FWL: 6.5–7.7 mm), more variable in wing pattern, often with much more extensive reddish-orange ground color and metallic blue-gray scaling on costal strigulae; costal fold, anal extension absent. Abdomen. Vestiture of abdomen similar to male. Genitalia ( Fig. 7F View Figure 7 ) with papillae anales subtriangular, apically broad, acute, with shallow anteromedial notch, flattened and roughened on ventral surface; apophyses posteriores approximately 0.5× length of S7; apophyses posteriores approximately 0.67× length of S7; sterigma rectangular,widening slightly posteriorly; ostium elliptical; right side of lamella antevagenalis without any modified structure obscuring the ostium, but may occasionally be slightly thickened, left side of ostium with conspicuous, small, cup-like cavity; ductus bursae short, with a long membranous extension (in some well-stained genitalia preparations this extension appears to be slightly sclerotized on the interior wall); colliculum present, well sclerotized, ring-like, incomplete on ventral side; ductus bursae broad, basal half well-sclerotized to ductus seminalis; corpus burse globose, with a pair of parallel, ridge-like processes present on interior dorsal wall; a large, circular sclerotized patch present on the dorsal wallofcorpusbursae; twolarge,opposite, thorn-like signa present on the dorsal and ventral walls; inner surface of corpus bursae densely covered in a fine network of minute spinules.

Biology. Eccoptocera kukona has been reared from tied leaves of ʻōhiʻa lehua ( Metrosideros polymorpha ; Myrtaceae ).

Distribution. Eccoptocera kukona is the most widespread and common species of Eccoptocera on Kauaʻi, where it can be found in virtually all places where its host, ʻōhiʻa lehua ( Metrosideros polymorpha ), grows. It has been collected at elevations from 265–1265m in lowland wet forest, mid-elevation mesic forest, and high elevation wet forest and bogs.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Kūkona, one of the signature chiefs of ancient Kauaʻi and the father of the most well-known Kauaʻi chief, Manokalanipō.

Comments. This species was listed as “ Eccoptocera new species 1” by Zimmerman (1978).

Conservation Status. Eccoptocera kukona is likely secure. It is widespread and common, sometimes even abundant in native forest wherever ʻōhiʻa lehua ( Metrosideros polymorpha ) occurs.