Nemophora ahenea Stringer, 1930

Kozlov, Mikhail V., 2024, Fairy moths of the genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg, 1798 (Lepidoptera: Adelidae) from Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, Zootaxa 5423 (1), pp. 1-66 : 19-21

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5423.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:622D5264-DBE2-463B-9A8C-AD1C77C90254
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10806125
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/55600359-4B46-FFF0-62C4-7D8DFCFB43FB
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Nemophora ahenea Stringer, 1930
status

Treatment

Nemophora ahenea Stringer, 1930 View in CoL

( Figs. 14, 15 View FIGURES 9–16 , 68 View FIGURES 63–88 , 94 View FIGURES 94–99 , 113 View FIGURES 111–113 )

Nemophora ahenea : Stringer 1930: 422. Holotype ♂: Japan , Honshu, Wakayama Prefecture, Iwawakisan (34° 22' N, 135° 33' E), labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘ Type’; 7 × 10 mm, print ‘Iwawaki- │ san, Kii 8- │ VIII 1919 │ S. Issiki’; 5 × 11 mm, black ink ‘B. M. │ 1930-435’; 13 × 22 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemophora │ ahenea Strgr. │ Ann Mag N. H. 10 S 6 p. 422 │ TYPE ♂ (1930)’ ( NHM) [examined]. Paratypes. 1 ♂, labelled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘ Para- │ type’; 6 × 10 mm, print ‘ JAPAN. │ Pryer Coll. │ 188. ’; 8 × 10 mm, print ‘ Walsingham │ Collection │ 1910-427’; 13 × 22 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemophora │ ahenea Strgr. │ PARATYPE’. 1 ♀, labelled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘ Para- │ type’; 7 × 9 mm, print ‘Iwawaki- │ san, Kii │ 19-8-1920 │ S. Issiki’; 4 × 11 mm, black ink ‘B. M. │ 1930-435’; 13 × 22 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemophora │ ahenea Strgr. │ PARATYPE’ (both in NHM) [examined] GoogleMaps .

Nemophora ahenea View in CoL : Inoue 1954: 9; Kuroko 1957: 1; Issiki 1957: 13, pl. 2 fig. 30 (colour photograph of moth); Okano 1959: 277, pl. 183 fig. 14 (colour drawing of moth); Moriuti 1982: 54, 156, pl. 1 fig. 28 (colour photograph of moth); Kawamura 1984: 3; Sugi 1989: 889; Kozlov 1997c: 278, 279 fig. 182.2 (drawing of forewing), 281 fig. 184.1 (drawing of male genitalia); Hirowatari 1998: 29; Hirowatari & Kametani 1999: 85–92 figs. 1–12 (moth appearance, daily rhythms, copulation, head structure); Hirowatari 2000: 12 fig. 11.7 (colour photograph of male), 13 figs. 12.1–2 (moths in nature), 28–29; Wang et al. 2000: 5 (colour photographs of moths); Hirowatari 2005: 312–313, 314 fig. 1a, b (colour photographs of moths), 315 fig. 2 (distribution map), 317 fig. 4 (drawing of male genitalia), 323 fig. 10 (drawing of female genitalia); Hirowatari 2013: 104–105, figs. 3-07-17, 3-07-18, 3-07-19 (colour photographs of moths); Mishima 2021: 80; Liao et al. 2023: 74, 112 pl. 11 fig. 6 (colour photograph of holotype).

Other material. China. Taiwan. 1 ♂, Nantou County, 1300 m, Chun-Yang, near Lushan Hot Spring , 18.ix.2002 (Chen & Buchsbaum) ( ZSM) ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Tainan County, Kanshirei , 300 m, 16.iv.1906 (Wileman) ( NHM) ; 1 ♂, Wushe , on flowers of Reynoutria multiflora , 11.iii.1997 (Lin) ; 1 ♂, Dongbu 1300 m, Nantou County, 10.iv.1992 (Chang) (both in NCHU) ; 1 ♀, Kaoshiung County, Sanpin Forest Station , 9 km SE Lukuei, 700 m, 25.ix.2001 (Stange & Wang) ( FSCA) ; 1 ♂, Liouguei , 60 km NE Kaoshiung, 900 m, 30.iv.2001 (Kozlov) ( NHM) ; 1 ♂ 1♀, Chipon ( Taito ), 16.v.1921 (Shiraki) ( TARI) ; 1 ♀, I-Lan County, Yuanshan, Fushan , Botanical Garden , 800 m, 29.v.1995 (Yen) ( NMNST) ; 3 ♂, Baibara , 23.–25.iii.1943 (Issiki) ; 1 ♂, Raisya , 19.v.1947 (Issiki) ; 1 ♂, Rarasan , 27.vi.1943 (Issiki) ; 1 ♂, Sankakuho , 25.v.1928 (Issiki) ; 1 ♂, Kiirun , 11.v.1935 (Issiki) ; 1 ♂, Kao Hsiung County, 10–11 km NE Chiahsien , ca. 300 m, forest, 3.–8.vii.1980 (Davis) (all in USNM) . Myanmar. 1 ♀, Nyaungshwe (formerly Fort Stedman ), x.1888 (Manders) ( NHM) . Japan. Honshu . 1 ♂, Oomi, Tahisankei , 7.viii.1956 (Yasuda) ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♀, Kii, Iwawakisan , 19.viii.1920 (Issiki) ( TFRI) ; 1 ♂, Kii , 9.viii.1918 (Issiki) ( NHMW) ; 1 ♀, Mt. Mikusa , Hyogo Prefecture, 23.vii.1997 (Hirowatari & Kametani) ( UOP) ; 5 ♂, Kyoto Prefecture, Hanase , 7.viii.1956 (Issiki) ; 3 ♂, Kyoto Prefecture, Sanzyoga Mts. , 29.–30.vii.1951 (Issiki) ; 2 ♂ 1 ♀, Mie Prefecture, Iwawaki Mt. , 19.viii.1920 (Issiki) ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Nara Prefecture, Dorogawa , 29.–30.vii.1951 (Mutuura) ; 1 ♂, Nara Prefecture, Oto-mura , 13.viii.1952 (Issiki) (all in USNM) . Kyushu . 4 ♂, Fukuoka Prefecture, Mt. Hiko, Biological station , 10.–11.viii.1980 (Mikkola) ( MZH) ; 1 ♂, Kagoshima Prefecture, Sata, Misaki , 21.v.1952 (Issiki) ; 1 ♂, Oita Prefecture, Sobosan , 5.vii.1937 (Issiki) (both in USNM) .

Diagnosis. Nemophora ahenea externally resembles N. vietnamensis ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 9–16 ), from which it differs by the dull (bright yellow to ochreous brown) frons, enlarged male eyes (interocular index 0.85–1.40), moderate length of male antenna (2.5–3.0 × FWL), forewing fascia consisting of three bands, tips of valvae at about the same level as the tip of tegumen, and short medial process of transtilla.

Description. Male ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 9–16 ). FWL 5.2–6.6 mm, WLR 0.33–0.38.Vertex and frons bright yellow to ochreous brown. PLB 0.4–0.5 × vertical eye diameter (1.0–1.3 × length of scape), bright yellow to ochreous, densely covered with relatively short protracted yellow to ochreous piliform scales. Proboscis light brown, base covered with ochreous yellow scales. Eyes enlarged, but not touching each other; interocular index 0.85–1.40; occipital distance 0.15–0.45. Antenna 2.5–3.0 × FWL. Scape bronze to ochreous brown; base of flagellum dark coppery bronze; 10–12 proximal flagellomeres dorsally with semi-erect coppery black scales, which mask minute inwardly directed pegs; distal part of flagellum greyish bronze to silver-grey. Tegulae and thorax glossy golden. Forewing ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 63–88 ) dark coppery bronze, with large dark brown spot at base of costa reaching 0.6 × forewing width, and medial fascia (0.04–0.17 × FWL) with oblique internal margin reaching costa at 0.38–0.40 × FWL; width of this fascia usually decreases from costa to dorsum. Forewing base at costa with purplish to indigo blue iridescent spot adjacent to dark brown spot; fascia consists of dark brown medial band bordered on both sides by narrow glossy lead bands. Fringe bronze to dark brown. Hindwing brown, apically with bronze or coppery tint; costal area grey; R and M1 stalked; fringe brown to grey. Legs bronze; apices of fore and mid tibiae with tufts of raised coppery black scales; hind tibia with dense cover of long greyish brown piliform scales; apices of all tarsomeres brown. Epiphysis at 0.4, not reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen dorsally brown with slight bronze lustre, ventrally bright bronze.

Female ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 9–16 ). FWL 4.7–5.5 mm. Antenna 1.7–2.0 × FWL; scape and proximal 8–10 flagellomeres ochreous yellow (in some specimens, dorsal parts of scape and proximal flagellomeres dark coppery bronze), dorsally with narrow line of short semi-erect yellow scales (absent in some specimens); distal part of flagellum bronze. Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 94 View FIGURES 94–99 , 113 View FIGURES 111–113 ). Tegumen from almost triangular to dome-shaped, wide, with small medial ridge. Socii oval, 1.0–1.4 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.0–2.6 × length of valva, V-shaped, with slightly convex lateral margins and gently wave-shaped to straight distal margin. Tips of valvae at about same level as tip of tegumen. Ventral valvar margin with prominent lobe reaching 0.6–0.7 × length of valva; tip of this lobe directed ventrally, and in lateral view this lobe looks like triangular ventral protuberance in middle of valva. Dorsal margin of valva straight to slightly concave; tip of valva narrowly rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.25 × total length; internal valvar margins indistinct. Anellus 0.3 × length of valva. Transtilla with short medial process. Juxta 0.55–0.60 × length of phallus; arrow head moderately wide (WLR 0.5), with pointed to narrowly rounded tip and long pointed lateral arms. Phallus 1.0 × length of vinculum, in lateral view gently S-shaped, with two long carinae articulated ventrally at 0.6 × length of phallus (counting from its base); tip of phallus forms dorsoventrally flattened lobe; base of phallus funnel-shaped.

Biology. Occurs from early summer (Taiwan) to late summer ( Japan), inhabiting mountain regions; flies actively only around sunset. In Japan, moths were observed nectaring on flowers of Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. ( Asteraceae ) and Reynoutria japonica Houtt. ( Polygonaceae ); swarms of males (maximum of five individuals) were observed 10–30 cm above flowers of these plants and of flowers of Rhus chinensis Mill. ( Anacardiaceae ). Moth copulate aerially, then land to foliage. Females were observed to oviposit into flower buds of R. japonica ( Hirowatari & Kametani 1999) . In Taiwan, moths were collected from flowers of Mallotus japonicus (pers. obs.) and R. multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke (specimen deposited in NCHU).

Distribution. Taiwan ( Wang et al. 2000), Myanmar (this study; questionable record), Thailand (this study; photograph-based records: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/132395186, 183085460, 184475541), Cambodia (this study; photograph-based record: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38211105), Japan ( Stringer 1930).

Comments. Specimens of N. ahenea from Taiwan slightly differ from Japanese specimens by wider forewing, greater extent of basal spot towards dorsal wing margin, larger compound eyes in males, more approaching each other occipitally, and longer vinculum (relative to length of valva). However, keeping in mind the previously reported morphological variation of this species in Japan ( Hirowatari 2005) I think that populations from Taiwan and Japan are conspecific.

The only poor quality female specimen of N. ahenea from Myanmar was found among specimens of N. sinicella in the Meyrick’s collection (NHM). The origin of this specimen is questionable, because it is not mentioned by Meyrick (1894) in the revision of moths collected by N. Manders in Fort Stedman (now Nyaungshwe) in the summer of 1888, despite the claim that Tineina from this collection ‘are worked out in full’; thus, mislabelling is possible. Furthermore, the quality of the moth makes my identification tentative; thus, I consider the record of N. ahenea from Myanmar questionable.

Photographs of several specimens of N. pyrotechna deposited in iNaturalist (see below) were misidentified as N. ahenea . Due to the external similarities of these two species with N. cleodoxa and N. vietnamensis the photograph-based records of N. ahenea should be considered with caution.

ZSM	Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
NCHU	National Chung Hsing University
FSCA	Florida State Collection of Arthropods, The Museum of Entomology
TARI	Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute
USNM	Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History
ZMUC	Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen
TFRI	Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute
NHMW	Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien
UOP	University of Opole
MZH	Finnish Museum of Natural History

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Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Adelidae
Genus	Nemophora