Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Cosmopterigidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Hyposmocoma | |
Hyposmocoma waikamoi is a species of moth of the Cosmopterigidae family. It is endemic to Maui.
The wingspan is 10.4–11 mm for males and 9.8–9.9 mm for females.
The larvae have been reared on lichens growing on a large rock in the shade. The larvae live in a larval case which has the form of a candywrapper-shaped structure with one entrance at each end. In the wild, it is covered with bits of greyish lichen.
Etymology
The specific name is derived from the Nature Conservancy reserve on east Maui to which the species is apparently restricted.
References
Hyposmocoma waikamoi Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA