Nymphicula edwardsi, Agassiz, David, 2014

Agassiz, David, 2014, A preliminary study of the genus Nymphicula Snellen from Australia, New Guinea and the south Pacific (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Acentropinae), Zootaxa 3774 (5), pp. 401-429 : 404-405

Nymphicula edwardsi sp. n.

Description of imago (fig. 5). Wingspan 14 mm. Head pale ochreous; labial palpus with terminal segment pale ochreous, much longer than second, second segment clothed with brown scales. Antenna brownish, collar ochreous. Thorax pale straw, posteriorly brown.

Forewing: base dark brown extending along costa to first strigula; antemedian band broad, white, from dorsum to above fold; medial zone white, almost entirely covered with dense brown scales; first strigula a broad white wedge extending halfway across wing; second strigula inwardly curved and edged dark brown, lower half shining lead-coloured; costa brownish between strigulae; terminal area yellow-orange;, tornal crescent metallic, broader at termen which it just touches, also just reaching brown of medial zone; a dark brown terminal line; cilia fuscous, paler above tornus where there is a slight indentation.

Hindwing extreme base tinged greyish-brown; subbasal band broad, white; antemedian band broad, brown, containing obscure orange spot; medial zone white, densely and evenly scaled dark brown; a strong brown submarginal line; yellow tornal streak with metallic spots before and beyond it; five black eye-spots joined by small metallic spots; small orange-yellow spots between eye-spots and termen.

Abdomen ochreous; legs pale straw, fore- and mid-legs brown above on femur, tibia and joints.

Tympanal organs (fig. 31) with venulae secundae slightly curved and divergent.

Male genitalia unknown.

Female genitalia (fig. 76): ostium wide, collar strong; ductus bursae swollen; corpus bursae with signa comprising two spinose bands almost merged into one, which extend whole length of corpus bursae.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ 12.43˚ S 143.17 ˚E| Quinn Park| Claudie Riv.| 14 Feb. 1985 | E.D. Edwards| S. Hacobian, paratype ♀, 12.43˚ S 143.18 ˚E| Gordon Creek| Claudie Riv.| 18 Feb. 1985 | E.D. Edwards| S. Hacobian. genitalia slide No. 13085, both in ANIC.

Diagnosis. This species is very similar to queenslandica , but it differs in its smaller size, the denser scaling of the medial zone of the forewing and the tornus of the forewing touching the termen. In the female genitalia the signa bands are less clearly separated.

Derivation. named in honour of Ted Edwards, Lepidopterist at ANIC, Canberra.

Distribution. Known only from the Claudie River, Queensland, Australia.