Nemophora longispina Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, 2023

Liao, Cheng-Qing, Hirowatari, Toshiya, Yagi, Sadahisa, Wang, Min, Wang, Xing & Huang, Guo-Hua, 2023, The fauna of the family Adelidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Adeloidea) from China, Zootaxa 5348 (1), pp. 1-152 : 52-53

(53) Nemophora longispina Liao, Hirowatari & Huang , sp. nov.

(Plates VI-6, XVII-3, XXVI-1, XXIX-5, 6)

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D9CA32E7-941E-4B33-A0A9-F02006C4354A

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished by the following characters: the forewing base has three obvious black-margined silver-gray longitudinal striae in male but absent in female; the forewing middle part has two black-margined silver-gray transverse fasciae forming X-shape, but not connected in the middle; the numerous yellow scales without obvious boundaries are scattered on the subapical area of the forewing; and the aedeagus of male genitalia has a pair of very slender lamellae dorsolaterally.

Description. Male. Forewing 9.7–9.9 mm; wing expanse about 20.1 mm.

Head covered with raised yellow hairs; face with light yellow smooth scales. Eyes small, widely separated dorsally; eye size index about 0.54. Labial palpus relatively short, ca. 1.5 × vertical eye diameter, covered with smooth yellow scales; second segment sparsely with long black hairs. Galeae long, covered with yellow scales laterally. Antenna about 35 mm, ca. 3.5 × forewing length, smooth; black basally with metallic blue luster, mostly light brown. Thoracic dorsum dark brown to black, tegula yellow with some black scales. Legs yellow to light brown with purple luster; femur, apical tibia and all distal tarsi dark brown to black; hind-tibia mixed with long yellow hairs. Forewing lanceolate, narrow, length about 3.2 times of width; ground color yellow, basal half with three (subcostal, median and subdorsal) longitudinal, black-margined leaden fascia; a pair of black-margined leaden transverse fascia approximated at middle, but not dividing yellow band between the fascia; apical margin mainly yellow mixed with many black scales externally; cilia dark brown to black; vein R 3 stalked with R 4 at basal 1/6. Hindwing dark brown, apical part black; cilia dark brown; vein Rs stalked with M 1 at basal 2/5. Abdomen black dorsally and yellow ventrally.

Female. Forewing 8.0 mm, wing expanse about 16.8 mm. Head: with raised yellow hairs; face with smooth yellow scales. Eyes small, eye size index ca. 0.5; eye size index ca. 0.52. Antenna short, 9.6–9.8 mm; basal 2/3 with rough black scales, basally tinged with blue luster; apical 1/3 light brown and smooth. Thorax: tegula and dorsum yellow. Forewing: color pattern very similar with male except basal half without longitudinal fascia.

Male genitalia. Uncus trapezoid, extremely inward bending. Vinculum very long and slender, about 2.5 × as long as valva. Valva triangular, acutely angled apically, fused ventrally; sacculus basally flattened with dense hairs; suspensorium quadrate, anterior part far beyond posterior margin of vinculum in ventral view. Transtilla wide medially and slightly narrow laterally; median process short and blunt. Aedeagus short and stout; basal portion slightly curved ventrally; vesica with a patch of spine-like cornuti dorsally; manica with a pair of long narrow lamellae dorsolaterally and an irregular plate apically. Juxta arrow-shaped; arrow-head moderate in size, triangular and blunt, lateral arms short.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor pointed, apex with a small barb ventroposteriorly. Apophyses posteriores and anteriores long and slender, subequal in length. Vestibulum relatively large, membranous; vestibular lamella well developed, nearly V-shaped in ventral view. Bursa copulatrix short and narrow, membranous.

Holotype. [Hunan] ♁, Mt. Tianpingshan, Badagongshan National Nature Reserve , Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City , 2020.VI.19–23, C.Q. Liao leg. ( HUNAU).

Paratypes. [Hunan] 6♁ 19♀, same data as holotype ; 2♀, Shuangjiangkou, Jintongshan National Nature Reserve , Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City , 2021.V.20, C.Q. Liao leg. ; 3♀, Shuangjiangkou, Jintongshan National Nature Reserve , Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City , 2021.V.28–29, C.Q. Liao leg. ; 2♁ 4♀, Shuangjiangkou, Jintongshan National Nature Reserve , Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City , 2021.VI.5–6, C.Q. Liao leg. ; [Guangxi] 3♁, Mt. Maoershan, Xin’an County, Guilin City , 2003. VII.1, G.H. Huang leg. ( HUNAU) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the words long and spine, referring to the long spine-like lamellate and cornuti on the aedeagus.

Distribution. China (Hunan, Guangxi).

Remarks. Most of the type materials were collected in Shuangjiangkou Forest Farm by light trap. The habitats are rich in vegetation and humid environment near a small river which is similar to Mt. Tianpingshan. In addition, some female adults were observed visiting the flowers of Castanea mollissima Blume (Fagaceae) for nectar or staying on the leaf during the daytime in Shuangjiangkou (Plates XXIX-5–6).