Nemophora paradisea ( Butler, 1881 )

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 : 40

(38) Nemophora paradisea ( Butler, 1881)

(Plates IV-2, X-6, XV-4)

Nemotois paradisea Butler, 1881: 592 (TL: Japan, Honshu); Meyrick 1912a: 8; Meyrick 1912b: 7 ( Japan); Matsumura 1931: 1112, fig. 2337 ( Japan); Matsumura 1932: 122, pl. 4, fig. 4 ( Japan, Honshu).

Nemophora paradisea: Okano 1959 ; Moriuti 1982; Hirowatari & Nagaike 1998: 288, figs. 1–6 (biological notes); Hirowatari & Yamamoto 2004: 31, figs. 4–6, 9–10, 17–21 (male genitalia); Hirowatari 2013: 106, fig. 3-08-5,6 ( Japan); Umetsu 2014: 6, fig. 10 ( Japan, Akita Pref.); Yu 2015: 15 ( China, Beijing, Hebei).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to N. smaragdaspis but can be characterized by the following features: the thoracic tergite, tegula and base of the forewing are metallic brass or brownish brass; the male eyes are relatively moderate, with an eye size index about 8; the aedeagus of male genitalia is slightly curved dorsally; and the female adults have yellow face, and basally yellow and apically dark brown antennae.

Specimens examined. [Guangdong] 1♀, Jiulianshan, Lianping County, Heyuan City , 2018.V.18–19, M. Wang & F.H. Wei leg ; [Sichuan] 2♁, Longcanggou (1,400 m), Yingjing County, Ya’an City , 2015.VIII.10–11, G.H. Huang leg. ; 1♁ 1♀, Longcanggou (1,500 m), Yingjing County, Ya’an City , 2016.VII.1, T.T. Yu leg. ; [Hainan] 1♁, Yinggeling National , Baisha Li Autonomous County, 2005.IX.6, L.S. Chen leg. ( HUNAU) .

Distribution. China (Beijing, Hebei, Anhui, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hainan); Japan.

Remarks. This species was originally described by Butler (1881) based on Japanese specimens and has been reported in different regions of Japan and China. Kozlov & Robinson (1996a) revised N. decisella based on a large number of specimens and synonymized many scientific names, including N. paradisea . They also compared many characteristics among them and noted that some obvious differences were present in these specimens, especially in the male genitalia. In a biological study of this species, Hirowatari & Nagaike (1998) footnoted that this species is also distributed in South-east Asia and occurs sympatrically and simultaneously with N. decisella in some areas; thus, they considered this species to be a distinct species and tentatively retained the name paradisea . According to our own specimens, whether from the same or different localities, there are some obvious differences between these two species, especially the width of the forewing transverse central fascia and the shape of valva in the male genitalia. However, we did not examine the series of continuous characteristic variations. Thus, we retained the validity of this species N. paradisea before obtaining more evidence, especially molecular data.

Hirowatari & Nagaike (1998) studied the biological aspects of this species in detail and recorded its daily activity patterns and host plants. Male adults of this species usually swarm only in the evening around sunset and their mating behavior also occurs during this period. Female adults seem to nectar and oviposit eggs into flower buds of Patrinia villosa (Valerianaceae) , which synchronizes with the flowering period of the host plant.