Nymphicula michaeli, Agassiz, David, 2014

Agassiz, David, 2014, A preliminary study of the genus Nymphicula Snellen from Australia, New Guinea and the south Pacific (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Acentropinae), Zootaxa 3774 (5), pp. 401-429 : 408-409

Nymphicula michaeli sp. n.

Description of imago (fig. 12). Wingspan 11mm. Head whitish; labial palpus terminal segment pale ochreous, second segment of about the same length, clothed with brown scales; antenna dark ochreous.

Forewing base fuscous; costa fuscous in basal half; antemedian fascia whitish, edged fuscous inwardly and outwardly; median zone with dense scattering of fuscous scales, especially towards dorsum and forming a curved line outwardly; first strigula white preceded by fuscous; second strigula white, leaden towards dorsum, edged on both sides fuscous; terminal area orange; tornal spot leaden.

Hindwing basal half irregularly suffused fuscous in zigzag bands; a silver grey tornal spot; five eye-spots narrowly separated by metallic spots and a small yellow spot on the termen. Legs pale ochreous.

Tympanal organs (fig. 38): Venulae secundae strong, divergent, further bent outwards at each end; venula media about half length of venulae secundae. Tympanum with lobe produced at anterior end.

Male genitalia (fig. 60): Abdomen with pair of hair pencils one sixth length of abdomen. Valva bluntly pointed, tufted at apex, length 4x width; gnathos half length of uncus. Aedeagus slightly waisted, cornutus barely discernible.

Female genitalia: unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ♂ Hydrographer Mts.| Brit. N.G. 2500ft.| Feb. Mrch 1918 | (Eichhorn Bros. BMNH Pyralidae slide No. 17511.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species in the genus by the zig-zag subterminal line.

Derivation. after my son Michael.

Distribution. known only from the type locality, Papua New Guinea.