Hyposmocoma papaiili

Hyposmocoma papaiili is a species of moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It is endemic to Maui.

Hyposmocoma papaiili
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Cosmopterigidae
Genus: Hyposmocoma
Species:
H. papaiili
Binomial name
Hyposmocoma papaiili
P. Schmitz & Rubinoff, 2011

The wingspan is 7.2–8.8 mm for males and 12.6 mm for females.

The larvae have been reared on lichen and fish food. The larvae live in a larval case which has the form of a crab-shaped structure with one entrance at each end. The combination of the color, irregular shape and texture of the case make them good mimics of small pieces of bark.[1]

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Hawaiian pāpa‘i (meaning crab)and ‘ili (meaning bark) and refers to the type of case and habitat of this species.

References


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