Ecologically and morphologically remarkable new cosmet moth species of the genus Hyposmocoma (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae) endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, with reference to the spectacular diversity of larval cases

Hyposmocoma is an endemic Hawaiian moth genus with >330 recognized species occupying a remarkable range of ecological habits and exhibiting a high degree of variation typical of adaptive radiations. Within this diverse genus, some species have evolved intriguing and globally rare lifestyles, such as predatory or aquatic caterpillars. There are still many undescribed species in the genus, and no current work succinctly covers the range of their diversity. We describe nine new species in an attempt to demonstrate some of the remarkable ecological and phenotypic diversity displayed by species in the genus in a concise format: Hyposmocoma carnivora sp. nov. from the island of Hawaii; Hyposmocoma eliai sp. nov. Hyposmocoma nohomaalewa sp. nov., and Hyposmocoma waikamoi sp. nov. from the island of Kauai; and Hyposmocoma papaiili sp. nov., Hyposmocoma pukoa sp. nov., Hyposmocoma pupumoehewa sp. nov., Hyposmocoma opuulaau sp. nov., and Hyposmocoma waikamoi sp. nov. from the island of Maui. Although the taxa presented here do not represent a monophyletic group with respect to the rest of Hyposmocoma, they represent some of the most striking aspects of Hyposmocoma diversity as a whole.