Adela Latreille, [1796]

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 : 15-16

2. Adela Latreille, [1796]

Adela Latreille, [1796] : 147. Type species: Phalaena reaumurella Linnaeus, 1758: 540 , by subsequent monotypy.

Capillaria Haworth, 1828: 519 . Type species: Phalaena viridella Scopoli, 1763: 250 , by subsequent designation by Meyrick, 1912b: 8.

Dicte Chambers, 1873: 73 . Type species: Dicte corruscifasciella Chambers, 1873: 74 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. The head is roungh-haired on vertex; the face is usually smooth. The antennae are long, about 1.2–3 times of forewing length, sometimes thickened with raised scales at the base; The 8–10 of flagellum usually with 1–3 long anteriorly projecting hook-pegs. The labial palpus is 3-segmented, moderate in length, with dense raised hairs; The 1st parpomere is short, the 2nd is long and slender, and the 3rd is very short. The maxillary palpus is rudimentary. The tibiae of forelegs apically have epiphyses; the hind tibiae are covered with dense hairs. R 3 and R 4 of the forewing are stalked, approximate or free. The M 1 and M 2 of the hindwing are stalked.

Remarks. The genus Adela Latreille, 1796 is clearly defined by the presence of hook-shaped, outwardly directed antennal pegs, which are considered autapomorphy ( Nielsen 1980; Hirowatari 1997). To date, this genus consists of fewer than 50 species that are mainly confined to the Palearctic and Nearctic regions ( Kozlov 2013). Hua (2005) recorded six Adela species in China, most of which were considered synonyms or transferred to the genus Nemophora . For example, A. kukunorensis and A. aurantivasssella (misspelling of A. aurantibasella ) were considered synonyms of N. amatella and N. decisella , respectively ( Kozlov & Robinson 1996a; Kozlov 2004a), and A. disjunctella and A. syfaniella were treated as members of Nemophora ( Kozlov 1997b) . Moreover, A. suavis has been considered as a synonym of N. fluorites ( Kozlov 2023c) , and two additional Adela species were recorded from China for the first time, namely A. nobilis and A. praepilosa . Thus, there are three Adela species distributed in China so far, all of which are recorded here. Due to the single type specimen of A. sinica that was completely damaged and the original descriptions by Yang (1977) lacking effective diagnosis and clear colorful photos, this species is not provided in the keys here.

Key to species of the genus Adela based on external morphology

1 Compound eyes of male relatively large, eye size index about 3.4; fore- and mid-tibiae without yellow rings... A. praepilosa Compound eyes of male modereate in size, eye size index about 1.0; fore- and mid-tibiae with obvious yellow rings.................................................................................................... A. nobilis

Key to species of the genus Adela based on male genitalia

1 Distal part of valva relatively narrow, inner process of distal valva small but prominent, not extending to the tip; sacculus expanding at middle......................................................................... A. praepilosa

- Distal part of valva distinctly broad, inner process of distal valva wide and extending to the tip; sacculus expanding at basal 1/3.......................................................................................... A. nobilis