Nemophora fluorites ( Meyrick, 1907 )

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 : 50-51

(51) Nemophora fluorites ( Meyrick, 1907)

(Plates VI-3, XI-7, 8, XVII-1, XXV-2)

Nemotois fluorites Meyrick, 1907: 991 (TL: India, Assam, Khasi Hills; BMNH); Meyrick 1912a: 9; Meyrick 1912b: 7; Meyrick 1914: 61 (Formosa [ Taiwan]); Matsumura 1932: 126, pl. 4, fig. 18 (Formosa, Koshun [ Taiwan, Pingdong]); Issiki 1922: 194; Clarke 1955: 143.

Nemophora fluorites: Wang et al. 2000: 11 ; Hirowatari 2007: 27, figs. 1, 2C–D, 3C–D, 5A–B, 6, 7 ( Vietnam, review); Kozlov 2023c: 15, figs. 11, 12, 74, 113 ( India).

Nemotois takamukuella Matsumura, 1932: 125 , pl. 4, fig. 18 (TL: Japan, Kiushu, Yanagawa; SEHU); Razowski & Kumata 1985: 26 (Type catalog).

Nemophora takamukuella: Moriuti 1982: 56 ; Inoue 1954: 9; Kawamura 1984: 4.

Adela suavis Caradja, 1938a: 252 (TL: Lingping, Şdchina [Lianping, Fujian]; MINGA); Popescu-Gorj 1992: 174; Hua 2005: 2 (list of China). Synonymized by Kozlov 2023c: 16.

Diagnosis. This species can be easily recognized and distinguished from other species in the fluorites group based on its external characters. The main diagnostic characters are the black-margined leaden transverse fascia approximated and dividing yellow in the middle to form an X-shaped mark at the postdiscal area; the tegula has distinctly purplish bronzy scales; the compound eyes are very large and close to each other dorsally; the eye size index in male is more than 4. In the male genitalia, this species can be distinguished by the pointed apex of the valva and the circular membranous window area in the posterior margin of the vinculum medially.

Specimens examined. [Hunan] 1♁, Shuangjiangkou , Jintongshan National Nature Reserve, Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City, 2020.V.7, C.Q. Liao leg. ; 1♁, Mangshan National Nature Reserve , Yizhang County, Chenzhou City, 2020.V10, C.Q. Liao & M. Deng leg. ; [Guangdong] 2♀, Yunkaishan Nature Reserve , Xinyi City, 2021.V.1–4, Z.H. Ye, J.J. Liu & Z.Z. Wang leg. ; [Guangxi] 1♀, Maoershan National Nature Reserve (1,500 m), Xing’an County, Guilin City, G.H. Huang leg. ; [Chongqing] 3♀, Dawopu , Simianshan National Scenic Spot (971–1,037 m), 2016.V.16, J.P. Wan & X.L. Wei leg. ; [ Taiwan] 2♁, Gaofeng , 2005.VII.14.; 15♁, Wugongshan (1,000 m), Maolin Country, Gaoxiong City, 2002.III.23, B. Tanaka & T. Mano leg. ( HUNAU, ELKU) .

Distribution. China (Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Fujian, Taiwan); India, Myanmar, Vietnam.

Remarks. This species was originally described in India by Meyrick (1907) and then reported in Vietnam and Myanmar by Hirowatari (2007). Its synonym, N. takamukuella Matsumura, 1932 , was described from Japan, but Hirowatari (2007) considered that the type species was erroneously recorded in Japan and the specimen was probably from Taiwan. Matsumura (1932) listed this species with a male adult illustration (fig. 18), but the corresponding figure 21 is incorrect but N. ahenea Stringer, 1930 . Caradja (1938a) described Adela suavis based on a female specimen from China. The holotype of A. suavis in MINGA is fixed with three labels: white paper “ Adela / suavis Car / Type ♀ ”, white paper “Lingping / Südchina /V.22 / H Höne” and white paper with red edge “ HOLOTYPE / Adela / suavis / Car / ♀ / ROMÄNIA ” (Plate XI-8). The original description and type specimen obviously indicate that A. suavis Caradja, 1938 is an undoubted synonym of N. fluorites . Appart from our findings, this synonymy was currently pointed out by Kozlov (2023c).

Male adults of N. fluorites were observed swarming in Taiwan atop of Castanopsis carlesii and Cyclobalanopsis sp. , and female adults were observed on flowers of Pasania kawakamii ( Kozlov 2023c) .

In this study, this species was recorded in mainland China for the first time. Based on the literatures and our new supplementary information, this species seems to be a widespread species in south Asia. One DNA barcode of N. fluorites is generated and this sequence is closest to N. tanakai (pairwise distance: 0.038).