Nemophora chionites ( 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 : 22-23

(16) Nemophora chionites ( Meyrick, 1907)

(Plates II-3, XIII-3, XXI-3)

Nemotois chionites Meyrick, 1907: 990 (TL: India, Assam, Khasi Hills; BMNH); Meyrick 1912a: 9; Meyrick 1912b: 7; Clarke 1955: 84.

Nemophora chionites: Kozlov 1995: 471 , figs. 9–10, 13, 19, 40–44 (review); Das & Singh 2022: 264; Kozlov 2023c: 21, figs. 19, 20, 80 ( India).

Diagnosis. Compared to other species of the askoldella group, this species can be distinguished by its longer labial palpus (ca. twice of vertical eye diameter) covered with long dense hairs; the forewing transverse central fascia is twice as wide at costa than at termen; the relatively long vinculum (ca. 2.6 × as long as valva); lateral margins (viewed ventrally) posteriorly forming a near 30-degree acute angle with the central axis; and the long suspensorium which far beyond the posterior margin of vinculum.

Specimens examined. [Hunan] 1♀, Mt. Tianpingshan, Badagongshan National Nature Reserve, Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City, 2014.VII.12–14, T. Hirowatari & G.H. Huang leg.; 7♀, Mt. Tianpingshan, Badagongshan National Nature Reserve , Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City , 2019.VII.27–VIII.13, C.Q. Liao, M. Deng, B. Chen & S.J. Yi leg. ; 1♀, Mt. Tianpingshan, Badagongshan National Nature Reserve , Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City , 2020.VII.17, C.Q. Liao & M. Deng leg. ; [Sichuan] 4♁ 3♀, Longcanggou (1,400 –1,500 m), Yingjing County, 2016. VI.18–19, G.H. Huang leg. ; 2♁ 1♀, Longcanggou (1,500 m), Yingjing County, 2016.VI.23, G.H. Huang leg. ; 1♁, Longcanggou (1,500 m), Yingjing County, 2017.VII.17–18, M. Wang leg. ; 1♀, Nibashan , Yingjing County, 2009. VIII.28, G.H. Huang leg. ( HUNAU) .

Distribution. China (new record: Hunan, Sichuan); India, Thailand.

Remarks. This species has been newly recorded in China, and usually occurs from June to October. On Mt. Tianpingshan, Hunan, the female adults were observed flying or resting in low grasses near Hydrangea plants, but we could not observe its flower-visiting and oviposition behavior.

One DNA barcode of N. chionites is generated and this sequence is closest to N. askoldella (pairwise distances: 0.043).

3.4 Nemophora hoeneella species group

Nemophora hoeneella group ( Kozlov & Hirowatari 1997: 87)

Diagnosis. This species group is characterized by the following features: the compound eyes are relatively large, with eye size index 0.9–1.1 in male and 0.6–0.7 in female; the basal part of the male antenna is dorsolaterally covered with dark brown or blackish scales, and basal 1/2 to 2/3 of the female antenna is covered with dense raised scales, but the remaining apical flagellum has light rings at the tip of each segment; the basal third of female forewing, except for the narrow zone along the costal margin, is lighter than the background wing color, while male forewing base is uniformly dark colored; the face has raised hairs; the transverse central fascia of the forewing is light color, very narrow; and the anellus at base of juxta has pair of articulated carinae.

Remarks. This species group was established by Kozlov & Hirowatari (1997) and includes four species: N. marisella from Japan, N. hoeneella from Hunan, N. aritai and N. issikii from Taiwan, China. Among them, N. hoeneella and N. issikii share the oblique central fascia of the forewing without lateral bands on each side. The former species possesses a pair of well-sclerotized processes and a dorsal lobe, but the later one cannot be defined whether it has this character because of no male adult has been found.

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

1 Forewing central fascia straight, reaching costal margin at 1/2 to 4/7....................................... N. aritai

- Forewing central fascia oblique, reaching costal margin at 2/3.................................................. 2

2 Body small, wing expanse 17–18 mm; forewing pale ochreous to light brown; central fascia approximately equal in width, except costal and posterior margins slightly narrow................................................. N. hoeneella

- Body relatively large, wing expanse about 23 mm; forewing brownish-gray; central fascia wide, gradually narrow from costal to posterior margins............................................................................. N. issikii