Opogona regressa Meyrick 1916

Opogona regressa Meyrick

Opogona regressa Meyrick, 1916:620; 1932b:231.—Lepesme, 1947:315.—Clarke, 1955 [1955–1970]:269.

Male genitalia slides JFGC 12006; USNM 24977, 24978. Harpe bulbous basally, the cucullus produced; sacculus produced distally as a sharp point and with a fleshy process from ventral edge. Socius greatly enlarged and armed with stout setae. Saccus about as long as harpe (obscured in drawing). Tegumen broad and short. Anellus a small, subrectangular, sclerotized plate. Aedeagus slender, straight, about as long as harpe.

Female genitalia slide USNM 24979. Ostium very small, oval. Inception of ductus seminalis from anterior two-thirds (?) of ductus bursae. Ductus bursae threadlike, very long. Bursa copulatrix surface armed with large granules. Signum a strong, transverse bar with ventral keel, and a cross bar at each end.

HOLOTYPE.—In the British Museum (Natural History).

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Fiji, Natova.

DISTRIBUTION.—Fiji, Marquesas Islands.

FOODS.—Decayed vegetable matter? Coconut flowers.

The 20 specimens before me are from the following localities. Nuku Hiva: Taiohae, 21 Jan to 6 Feb 1968, 3, 2. Hiva Oa: Atuona, 5 Feb to 27 Mar 1968, 1, 2. Fatu Hiva: Omoa, 11 Mar to 9 Apr 1968, 5, 6; Omoa Valley, 16 Mar 1968, 1.

The type of regressa lacks its head and abdomen but the specimens from the Marquesas agree in all superficial particulars, and the male genitalia of a Hiva Oa specimen (USNM 24977) agree with those of a from Fiji reared from coconut flowers. (Slide JFGC 12006, in the BMNH).

This is the first record of the occurrence of regressa in the Marquesas Islands.