Nemophora quadrata 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 : 28-29

(24) Nemophora quadrata Liao, Hirowatari & Huang , sp. nov.

(Plates III-1, XIV-1, XXII-3)

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:42B741F2-E572-4AA3-9F4C-F8EACF08D344

Diagnosis. This species is similar to N. aurifera but can be characterized by the relatively small male eyes (eye size index about 1.1); the light color of the forewing transverse central fascia (white to light yellow); R 3 and R 4 of the forewing are stalked, and the suspensorium is nearly quadrate anteriorly and expands posteriorly, anterior part at the same level as the posterior margin of the vinculum in ventral view.

Description. Male. Forewing about 8.5 mm; wing expanse about 16.7 mm.

Vertex densely covered with brownish to brownish-red hairs; face with dark brown scales medially and brownish hairs around compound eyes. Eyes relatively large, eye size index about 1.3. Labial palpus relatively long, covered with brownish scales and dark brown hairs; galeae with yellow scales laterally. Antenna slender, about 22.4 mm, 2.6 × forewing length; scape brown with purple metallic luster; basal 2/5 black and most remaining apical segments light brown. Legs black with brownish inner surface; basal part of tibiae and tarsi yellow. Thoracic dorsum brown to black and tegula black, both with bronze metallic luster; thoracic sternum yellow. Forewing lanceolate, ground color dark brown to black, with purple metallic luster; middle part with a yellow transverse fascia, approximately equal in width but slightly narrow at anterior margin; subapical area scattered with a lot of yellow scales; cilia dark brown to black with bronze metallic luster. Hindwing and cilia dark brown to black, costal area slightly light color. Abdomen dark brown to black.

Female. Forewing about 7.3 mm, wing expanse about 15.0 mm. Eyes small, eye size index ca. 0.58. Antenna short, about 10.5 mm, ca. 1.4 × forewing length; basal half stout with thickened black scales except inner surface near head with purple sacles; apical half slender and smooth, gray white. Others similar to male.

Male genitalia. Uncus semicircle, approximately at same level with apex of valvae, with weak median keel. Vinculum relatively short, about 2.0 × as long as valva; posterior margin near straight. Valva nearly triangular in ventral view and trapezoidal in lateral view, with pointed apex; inner margins slightly concaved, lateral margins slightly concaved with process medially; sacculus expanding at base and forming a process with dense long hairs, basal part slightly swollen ventrally and fused basally; suspensorium almost quadrate, anterior part at same level with posterior margin of vinculum in ventral view. Transtilla distinctly wider in lateral part; median process moderate and pointed. Aedeagus slender; apical 2/5 very curved dorsally; apex divided into two slender lobes dorsally and ventrally; vesica with two rows of three small spines dorsolaterally. Juxta arrow-shaped; arrow-head broad, nearly quadrate, lateral arms long and slender.

Holotype. [Hunan] 1♁, Shuangjiangkou, Jintongshan National Nature Reserve , Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City , 2020.V.7, C.Q. Liao leg. ( HUNAU).

Paratypes. [Hunan] 11♁ 5♀, same data as holotype; 3 ♁ 2♀, Shuangjiangkou, Jintongshan National Nature Reserve, Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City , 2021.VI.5–6, C.Q. Liao leg.; 2 ♁ 2♀, Shuangjiangkou, Jintongshan National Nature Reserve , Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City , 2021.V.28–29, C.Q. Liao leg.; 1♁, Jintongshan National Nature Reserve , Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Shaoyang City, 2021.V.23–24, M. Deng leg.; 1♁, Lanping Village , Wuyunjie National Nature Reserve , Taoyuan County, Changde City, 2020. V.21, C.Q. Liao leg.; 1♁, Mt. Tianpingshan , Badagongshan National Nature Reserve , Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City, 2009.V.26–27, G.H. Huang leg.; [Hainan] 1 ♁ 1♀, Baishuiling Tropical Forest Reserve (600 m), Diaoluoshan National Nature Reserve , Lingshui Li Autonomous County, 2003.III.19–20, M. Wang leg. ( HUNAU) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the word quadrate, referring to the quadrate suspensorium and arrow-head of juxta.

Distribution. China (Hunan, Hainan).

Remarks. This species is distributed in Hunan and Hainan Provinces, which implies that it may be widely distributed in southern China. This species occurs from May to June in the Hunan population and in March in the Hainan population, which may be related to the local natural environment, especially temperature.

One DNA barcode of this species is sequenced and found to be closest to N. decisella and N. assamensis with pairwise distances of 0.051 and 0.052, respectively.