Thyrocopa abusa

Thyrocopa abusa is a moth of the family Xyloryctidae. It was first described by Lord Walsingham in 1907. It is endemic to the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii. It is the type species of the genus Thyrocopa.

Thyrocopa abusa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Xyloryctidae
Genus:
Thyrocopa
Species:
T. abusa
Binomial name
Thyrocopa abusa
Synonyms
  • Thyrocopa usitata Butler, sensu Meyrick, 1883
  • Thyrocopa depressariella Walsingham, 1907
  • Thyrocopa fraudulentella Walsingham, 1907
  • Thyrocopa immutata Walsingham, 1907
  • Thyrocopa ingeminata Meyrick, 1915
  • Thyrocopa nubifer Walsingham, 1907
  • Thyrocopa pallida Walsingham 1907

Adults are on wing year round. There is a high degree of variation in forewing pattern in this species.

The larvae feed on Acacia koa, Cyrtandra, Freycinetia, guava, Ipomoea, Lantana, Pipturus and Ricinus. The brownish larvae, protected by a silken web or tunnel, bore in the dead twigs of many plants. They also feed on the bark and may feed to some extent upon the living tissues. Larvae were also found in silken tunnels in and beneath dried cow dung.

  • Zimmerman, Elwood C. (1978). Insects of Hawaii. Vol. 9 Microlepidoptera. The University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu. hdl:10125/7338.
  • Medeiros, Matthew J. (2009). "A revision of the endemic Hawaiian genus Thyrocopa (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae: Xyloryctinae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2202: 1–47. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2202.1.1.


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