Nemophora ahenea Stringer, 1930

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 : 74

(94) Nemophora ahenea Stringer, 1930

(Plate XI-6)

Nemophora ahenea Stringer, 1930: 422 . (Type locality: Japan, Honsiu, Kii, Mt. Iwawakisan; BMNH); Issiki 1957: 13, pl. 2, fig. 30; Okano 1959: 277, pl. 183, fig. 14; Moriuti 1982: 1: 54, 2: pl, 1. Fig. 28 (color photos); Kozlov 1997d: (male genitalia); Hirowatari & Kametani 1999: 85, figs. 1–6 (mating behavior); Hirowatari 2000: 28, figs. 11-7, 12-1, 2 (biology); Wang et al. 2000: 5; Hirowatari 2005a: 312, figs. 1A–B, 4, 10A–C (revision of Ryukyu species); Hirowatari 2013: 104, fig. 3-07- 17,18,19.

Diagnosis. The typical characters of this species are the blight metallic purple-red and bronze luster on the forewing, and blue-framed black striae on the base and middle part of the forewing.

Specimens examined. [ Taiwan] 3♁ Nantou-Hsien , Lushan (1,800 m), 1996.VIII.5, T. Mano leg. ( ELKU) .

Distribution. China (Taiwan); Japan.

Remarks. This species was considered to have a sister-group relationship with N. ochrocephala Kozlov, 1997 by the large dark costal spot at the forewing base, the symmetrical carinae at the apex of aedeagus, and the prominent medial lobe of valva ( Kozlov 1997d). Perhaps the similar forewing pattern and male genitalia may support these two species jointly, combining an additional species group.

Hirowatari (2005a) noted that this species presents some variations between different geographical population of mainland Japan and the Ryukyus, such as body size/wing expanse, metallic luster on the forewing, width of the forewing central fascia, and scale color of the basal antenna in female. Male adults were observed swarming above the flowers of Stenactis annuus (L.) Pers. ( Asteraceae ) and Reynoutria japonica Houtt. (Polygonaceae) ( Hirowatari & Kametani 1999).