Nemophora ganziensis, Liao & Hirowatari & Yagi & Wang & Wang & 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 : 57-58

(59) Nemophora mediseorsa Sun & Li, 2023

Nemophora mediseorsa Sun & Li, 2023: 489 , figs. 6, 10 (TL: China, Guangxi, Leye; NKU); Kozlov 2023c: 18, figs. 14, 76, 115, 146 ( India).

Diagnosis. This species is very similar to N. longissima , but can be distinguished by the forewing without a black speckle between M2 and the termen beyond the outer fascia, and by the absence of a process in the phallus (Sun & Li 2023).

Specimens examined. Not available in this study.

Distribution. China (Guangxi); India.

Remarks. This species was described by Sun & Li (2023) based on two specimens from Guangxi, China. And then Kozlov (2023c) reported the distribution of this species in Assam, India.

3.14 Nemophora degeerella species group

Nemophora degeerella group ( Kozlov 1997b: 43).

Nemophora aurora group ( Kozlov 1997c: 13).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished by the following characters: the ground color of the forewing is yellow to light brown; the dark markings of the forewing with mainly longitudinal striae; the forewing central fasciae consist of three transverse bands, the middle one yellow to light brown, the same as the ground color; the basal part of the forewing has some several black-margined bronze longitudinal stripes along the forewing veins, and some black lines situated between these stripes; the valva of male genitalia is simple, without additional lobe; the sacculus usually not swollen at the middle and fused basally; and the suspensorium is small, both sides are approximately parallel, anterior part is usually not beyond posterior margin of vinculum.

Remarks. Kozlov (1997b) firstly assigned the degeerella species group consisting of 16 species and indicated some differences between these representative species. Subsequently, based on a large examination of European N. degeerella specimens, Kozlov et al. (2017) separated and described two new cryptic species based on external morphology and molecular data: N. deceptoriella and N. scopolii . Recently, Sun et al. (2022) reviewed this species group and recognized 25 Chinese species, including 14 new species and three newly recorded species in China, and also provided the key and related illustrations. Additionally, two Japanese species, N. sapporensis ( Matsumura, 1931) and N. montana Okano, 1957 , obviously belongs to the degeerella species group and are usually treated as synonyms. According to two endemic species of Taiwan, namely N. aurora and N. uncella, Kozlov (1997c) established the N. aurora species group and considered that this species group is very similar to the degeerella group and shares some diagnostic characteristics described above. However, the monophyly of the aurora species group is supported by the dark brown lateral bands of the forewing fascia, with an internal zone formed by silver-gray glossy scales; and the valva medially has small basal swelling bearing a tuft of long setae on small oval depigmented spot. However, these two characters are atypical and seem to be their own autapomorphies. In addition, they share some diagnostic characteristics with other members of the degeerella group, thus we regarded these two Taiwanese species as members of this species group.

In this paper, we present all known Chinese species and described six additional new species, including N. ganziensis sp. nov., N. jiajinshana sp. nov., N. litangensis sp. nov., N. tianpingshana sp. nov., N. triangulifascia sp. nov., and N. yajiagengensis sp. nov. Thus, as the largest species group of the genus Nemophora , the N. degeerella species group at least 45 species worldwide, and there are 36 species distributed in China to date.

Key to species of the degeerella group based on external morphology and male genitalia*

1 Except forewing central fascia, other markings (basal longitudinal stripes and apical radial striae) hardly clear, only indistinct black lines remaining at the base.................................................................. N. augites

- Forewing pattern very distinct either basal longitudinal stripes or apical radial striae or spots..........................2

2 Forewing central fascia distinctly broken by lateral silver-gray bands at middle and formed into two large spots........... 3

- Forewing central fascia not broken at middle and presented as a band............................................ 4

3 Two large spots of central fascia far away to each other; apical area of forewing yellow, with indistinct radial striae.......................................................................................... N. litangensis sp. nov.

- Two large spots of central fascia close to each other; apical area of forewing dark brown, with very distinct radial striae.............................................................................................. N. disjucterlla

4 Subapical area of forewing with V- or U-shaped yellow spot but without radial striae; uncus obviously bent to inter side ventrally................................................................................. N. recurvatifera

- Subapical area of forewing with obvious radial striae; uncus oblique ventrally..................................... 5

5 Male eyes relatively large, eye size index about 1.8; subapical radial striae near costal margin connected basally forming triangular yellow spot.............................................................. N. triangulifascia sp. nov.

- Male eyes very small, eye size index less than 1.0; subapical radial striae not formed triangular spot.................... 6

6 Subapical area of forewing ground color yellow, with black radial striae reaching to outer margin of forewing............ 7

- Subapical area of forewing ground color black, with yellow radial striae not reaching to outer margin of forewing........ 14

7 Subapical radial striae of forewing far away from external silver-gray band of transverse central fascia................. 8

- Subapical radial striae of forewing basally connected with external silver-gray band of transverse central fascia...........9

8 External silver-gray band of transverse central fascia complete; valva without obvious lobar process; vinculum shorter than 3 × length of valva................................................................................ N. aurora

- External silver-gray band of transverse central fascia broken at middle, and part adjacent to the costal margin is hook-shaped in such a way that its distal part in some specimens is separated from the base and forms a distinct spot; vinculum longer than 3 × length of valva................................................................................ N. uncella

9 Body large, wing expanse usually more than 24 mm ......................................................... 10

- Body small to moderate, wing expanse usually less than 20 mm ............................................... 11

10 Forewing central fascia broad, approximately equal in width; vinculum relatively short, anterior half gradually narrow..................................................................................... N. tianpingshana sp. nov.

- Forewing central fascia obviously narrow at middle; anterior half of vinculum rather slender, both sides approximately parallel................................................................................... N. polychorda

11 Forewing ground color dark brown; central fascia obviously narrow at middle..................... N. ganziensis sp. nov.

- Forewing ground color yellow; central fascia slightly narrow at middle.......................................... 12

12 Subapical radial striae slightly indistinct, separated by a dark silver-gray longitudinal stria reaching apical angle of forewing................................................................................ N. yajiagengensis sp. nov.

- Subapical radial striae conspicuous, without silver-gray longitudinal stria........................................ 13

13 Body relatively large, wing expanse about 19 mm; vinculum distinctly slender, about 2.7 × as long as valva, without transparent window.................................................................................... N. syfaniella

- Body small, wing expanse about 17.6 mm; vinculum very short, about 2.4 × as long as valva, with irregular oval transparent window medially................................................................... N. jiajingshana sp. nov.

14 Body small, wing expanse about 15.7 mm; subapical radial striae of forewing dark brown, extending beyond than 2/3 of subapical area................................................................................ N. amatella

- Body moderate, wing expanse more than 20 mm; subapical radial striae of forewing yellow, not extending beyond 1/2 of subapical area....................................................................................... 15

15 Antenna black basally and sliver-gray apically; vinculum rather slender, more than 2.6 × as long as valva....... N. lapikella

- Antenna black in whole length, no more than lighter color apically; vinculum relatively short, about 2.3 × as long as valva.......................................................................................... N. staudigerella

*Note: most currently described new species by Sun et al. (2022) are not examined herein, detail key to these species see Sun et al. (2022).