Nymphicula lactealis, 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 : 414-415

Nymphicula lactealis sp. n.

Description of imago (fig. 23). Wingspan 13–14mm. Head brownish; labial palpus terminal segment whitish; second segment with dark brown scales beneath; antenna ochreous, dark scales on segmental joints; thorax mixed brown and whitish.

Forewing base white; subbasal fascia dark brown; antemedian fascia white; median zone irregularly scaled dark brown, with white on dorsum before tornus; terminal area orange, suffused dark brown; first strigula white; second strigula leaden with white triangle on costa; terminal line blackish; cilia scaled fuscous.

Hindwing basal area white with elongate dark brown spot; antemedian fascia brown, irregular, preceded in dorsal half by a yellow spot; tornal spot elongate, silver-grey; a yellow band between it and wing margin; lunule yellow, ringed dark brown; median zone much reduced with a few dark brown scales; subterminal band of creamy yellow, edged above with brown; 4–5 confluent eye-spots, each with a shining grey stud; 3–4 orange spots between them and termen.

Legs pale straw, darker near joints; foreleg of male with blackish scaling on tarsus.

Tympanal organs (fig. 49): Venulae secundae weak, divergent; venula media about half length of venulae secundae. Tympanum bluntly pointed at anterior end.

Male genitalia (fig. 69): Abdomen with hair pencils 0.4x length of abdomen. Valva long and narrow, length 6x width; gnathos 0.4x uncus. Aedeagus narrow, one long cornutus finely divided arising from a broader sclerotised plate.

Female genitalia (fig. 91): Ostial chamber long and narrow; ductus bursae half length of corpus bursae; signum comprising a dentate strip from ductus along three quarters of its length.

Material examined. Holotype ♂ New Caledonia | Grand Lac | 250m site 2 | 06975/75356 | J.D. Holloway | 13.v.1971 | B.M. 1971-507. BMNH Pyralidae slide 17753 & 1 paratype ♀, same data BMNH Pyralidae slide 17771.

Diagnosis. distinguished by the yellow submarginal band of the hindwing.

Derivation. from the milky coloration of the subterminal area of the hindwing.

Distribution. Known only from New Caledonia.