Nymphicula torresalis, 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 : 407

Nymphicula torresalis sp. n.

Description of imago (fig. 9). Wingspan 12–13 mm. Head pale ochreous; labial palpus terminal segment ochreous, a little longer than second segment; second segment with fuscous scales on sides; antenna pale fuscous. Thorax pale fuscous mixed ochreous. Forewing base brown; subbasal fascia broad, yellow, edged on each side with white; antemedian fascia a thin sinuous line of dark fuscous scales; median zone evenly scaled dark brown; terminal area yellow extending well inside tornal spot; first strigula white, inwardly edged brown; second strigula white, lower two-thirds silver grey, yellow on costa; terminal cilia with grey line, whitish above tornus; tornal spot crescentshaped, entirely enclosed in yellow.

Hindwing base whitish; subbasal fascia indistinct; brownish antemedian fascia enclosing whitish lunule; tornal spot silver grey followed by a yellow streak to dorsum; median zone clear white with irregular patches of blackish scales; submarginal line clear, irregular, partially following contours of eye-spots; five distinct eye-spots separated by small silver studs and orange against termen; a silver grey spot before eye-spot 1.

Abdomen ochreous; legs pale ochreous, brownish above of forelegs.

Tympanal organs (fig. 35): Venula media half to two-thirds length of venulae secundae; venulae secundae diverging, slightly curved outwards, anterior end very close to rami tympani.

Male genitalia (fig. 57): Abdomen with two pairs of coremata pads at base of eighth segment, a pair of internal hair pencils twice length of seventh segment; valva length 5x breadth, uncus at least twice gnathos. Aedeagus slender, sclerotisation around tip but no conspicuous cornutus in vesica.

Female genitalia (fig. 80): Antrum longer than ductus bursae; corpus bursae with signa comprising a spinose band extending from junction with ductus about halfway along length of corpus bursae.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ Babinda| North Queensland| 16th September 1930. ANIC. 3 paratypes Base cableway, Mt. Belanden-Ker, Queensland, 80m, 19th October 1981. ANIC ♂ slide No. 13089, 2♀♀s. paratypes in BMNH: 2 labelled Kuranda, near Cairns, P.F. Dodd; 1 labelled Papua, Mafulu, 4000ft, i.1934, L.E. Cheesman; 1 labelled Cedar Bay, s of Cooktown, Meek. One further specimen, forewings missing, St Aignan ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Distinguished by the strong straight subterminal line of the hindwing.

Derivation. from the Torres Straits which separate Australia and New Guinea.

Distribution. Queensland and Papua New Guinea.