Nymphicula adelphalis, 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 : 403-404

Nymphicula adelphalis sp. n.

Description of imago (fig. 2). Wingspan 14 mm. Head with crown ochreous; labial palpus terminal segment twice as long as second, pale ochreous; second segment brownish mixed ochreous; collar and tegulae pale ochreous; thorax ochreous with central brown streak on dorsum.

Forewing base brown on costa, dorsum orange; subbasal fascia broad, white, not reaching costa; antemedian fascia orange; costa brownish in middle; first strigula white, inwardly edged dark brown; second strigula white, lead coloured towards tornus; tornal spot small, leaden, triangular. Hindwing base white; subbasal fascia brown; antemedian fascia orange, conspicuous towards dorsum; an indistinct silver tornal spot; two parallel subterminal lines curved around first eye-spot; five eye-spots, separated by small silver spots, a small orange mark beyond fifth.

Tympanal organs (fig. 28). Venulae curved slightly outwards, not significantly divergent.

Male genitalia unknown.

Female genitalia (fig. 74) Ductus bursae long, one third length of corpus bursae; corpus bursae with a sclerotised spinose patch running along the anterior two-thirds of its length, the posterior part with no sclerotisation is narrower.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ Black Point, Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory, Australia. 30.i.1977, E.D. Edwards, ANIC. Slide No. 13090.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the clear double submarginal line of the hindwing. The female genitalia are very similar to those of N. nigristriata Hampson , but longer.

Derivation. The name is from the Greek for brother, indicating the close relationship with other species.

Distribution. Known only from Northern Territory, Australia

Nymphicula christinae sp. n.

Description of imago (fig. 3). Wingspan 12–13 mm. Head ochreous; labial palpus terminal segment longer than second, ochreous; second segment clothed with brownish scales. Antenna ochreous brown; collar, thorax and tegulae ochreous.

Forewing base brown; antemedian fascia pale ochreous outwardly edged dark ochreous, extending obliquely from dorsum to costa; medial zone irregularly scattered with brown scales; costa suffused ochreous and brown; terminal area orange; first strigula slight; second strigula very slender, lower two-thirds filled with metallic grey; tornal spot a slender crescent almost from termen to medial zone; terminal cilia fuscous, whitish above tornus.

Hindwing with a few brownish scales at extreme base; subbasal band white; antemedian fascia orange, merged with tornal streak; medial zone white, more or less evenly scaled dark brown; submarginal row of scales slightly tinged light brown; five black eye-spots, but 3 and 4 united into one with metallic spot in centre, 1 and 2 also tending to combine; orange between eye-spots and margin; a silver grey spot in tornus and another before each eyespot.

Abdomen ochreous; legs pale ochreous, fore- and mid-legs brown above of femur and tibiae; second tarsus of male foreleg with strong fuscous scale patch.

Tympanal organs (fig. 29) venulae secundae strongly divergent, very slightly curved outwards; venula media about as long as venulae secundae.

Male genitalia (fig. 54) abdomen with hair pencils 0.4 x length of abdomen; a further pair of hair pencils in the seventh abdominal segment half as long as that segment. Valva with dorsal edge comparatively straight, a tuft of hairs at apex; length of valva = 5x width. Aedeagus as long as valva, a small indistinct cornutus.

Female genitalia not examined.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, data Cairns 1900 June, BMNH Pyralidae slide No. 17638. In coll. BMNH Paratypes: two ♂♂s Cedar Bay, S of Cooktown (Meek), slide No. 17548. In coll. BMNH; 1 male "Tully, N.Q. 7.7.1925 " in coll. ANIC; 1 ♀ " 4m W of Babinda, 29.11.1967 " in coll. ANIC; 1 ♀ "6 Km ENE Mt. Tozer, 30.6.1986 at mv.light" in coll. ANIC.

Diagnosis. Distinguished by the lack of any submarginal line on the hindwings.

Derivation. after my daughter Christine who endured my studies like the rest of the family.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland (Tully, Babinda, Mt. Tozer)