Nemophora quadrata, 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 : 25-26

(20) Nemophora aurifera ( Butler, 1881)

(Plates II-6, X-2, XIII-4, XXII-1, XXX-5-9, XXXI-3, 5)

Tinachma (Adela) fasciella, Motschulsky (nec fasciellus, Fabr.), 1866, Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc., p. 39.

Nemotois aurifera Butler, 1881: 592 (TL: Japan, Yokohama); Meyrick 1912a: 9; Meyrick 1912b: 7; Matsumura 1931: 1111, fig. 2332 ( Japan); Matsumura 1932: 122, pl. 4, fig. 5 (list of Japan).

Nemophora aurifera: Hirowatari 2013: 106 , fig. 3-08-3,4 ( Japan); Umetsu 2014: 5, fig. 9 ( Japan, Akita Prefecture); Fukuda & Kanai 2016: 18 ( Japan, Kirishima Mt.).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to N. quadrata sp. nov. but can be distinguished by the relatively large male eyes with eye size index about 2.4; and the forewing transverse central fascia is yellow. In addition, this species has separated ventral base of valvae, and has trapezoidal suspensorium with anterior part distinctly beyond the posterior margin of the vinculum in ventral view.

Specimens examined. [Hunan] 1♀, Mt. Tianpingshan, Badagongshan National Nature Reserve, Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City, 2018.IV.26, C.Q. Liao leg.; 1♀, Mt. Tianpingshan, Badagongshan National Nature Reserve , Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City , 2020.VI.19–23, C.Q. Liao leg. ; 1♁ 2♀, Mangshan National Nature Reserve, Yizhang County, Chenzhou City , 2020.V.10, C.Q. Liao & M. Deng leg. ; 1♀, Mangshan National Nature Reserve, Yizhang County, Chenzhou City , 2020.IV.30, C.Q. Liao leg. ; 2♀, Xiangsi Hotel, Mangshan National Nature Reserve , Yizhang County, Chenzhou City , 2020.V.14, C.Q. Liao leg. ; [Guangdong] 1♁ 1♀, Nanling National Nature Reserve, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, Shaoguan City , 2009.V.7, G.H. Huang leg. ; 3♁, Nanling National Nature Reserve, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, Shaoguan City , 2011.VI.4–5, G.H. Huang leg. ; 1♀, Nanling National Nature Reserve (1,000 m), Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, Shaoguan City , 2003.VII.19, G.H. Huang & M. Wang leg. ; 1♀, Nanling National Nature Reserve, Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, Shaoguan City , 2006.V.31–VI.6, L.S. Chen leg. ; 1♀, Nanling National Nature Reserve (1,050 m), Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County, Shaoguan City , 2005.VI.13, G.H. Huang, M. Wang & L.S. Chen leg. ; 1♀, Maofengshan Forest Park, Guangzhou City , 2006.IV.16, M. Wang leg. ; 1♀, Hengshitang Town (1,500 m), Shimentai National Nature Reserve, Yingde City , 2017.IV.29, T.T. Yu leg. ; 2♁ 1♀, Nankunshan National Forest Park, Longmen County, Huizhou City , 2006.III.28, G.H. Huang leg. ; [Guangxi] 1♁, Maoershan National Nature Reserve, Xing’an County, Guilin City , 2007.V.1–5, L.S. Chen leg. ; 1♁, Maoershan National Nature Reserve (1,500 m), Xing’an County, Guilin City , 2010.V.25–26, G.H. Huang leg. ; [Sichuan] 1♁, Yajiageng (1,200 m), Moxi Town , Luding County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture , 2005. VI.19, G.H. Huang, L.S. Chen & J.X. Liu leg. ; 1♀, Shimian County (2,050 m), Ya’an City , 2016.VII.10, T.T. Liu leg. ( HUNAU) .

Distribution. China (Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan); Japan.

Remarks. Kato (2000) recorded this species on the plant Pittosporum tobira (Pittosporaceae) from Amami- Oshima Island, but Hirowatari (2005a) suggested that N. tenuifasciata or N. marisella may have been misidentified as N. aurifera because he could not find any N. aurifera from the Ryukyus. According to the first author’s observation, this species nectared on the flowers of Viburnum hanceanum Maxim. (Caprifoliaceae) and also occurs in the surrounding plants (Plates XXX-5–9). Thus, we can collect them by insect net in the day time (Plate XXXI-3) and by light trap in the midnight (Plate XXXI-5).

A DNA barcode of one N. aurifera specimen is generated. This species is closest to N. badagongshana sp. nov. (pairwise distances: 0.048).