Nemophora caeruliantenna Liao, Hirowatari & Huang

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 : 34-35

Nemophora caeruliantenna Liao, Hirowatari & Huang in Liao, Hirowatari, Yagi, Wang, Wang & Huang,

2023

( Figs. 36 , 78 , 100 )

Nemophora caeruliantenna : Liao et al. 2023: 37–38, 98 pl. 4 fig. 6 (colour photograph of holotype), 120 pl. 15 fig. 2 (photograph of male genitalia). Holotype ♂: China, Yunnan Province, Chashan (1400 m), Simao District, Pu’er City (approx. 22° 47' N, 100° 58' E), 25.ii.2018 (Huang) ( HUNAU) [not examined].

Other material. Thailand. 1 ♂, Changwat Nan 30 km E of Pua , 1700 m, 20.ii.1998 (Hreblay & Szabóky) ; 1 ♂, ibid., 1.iii.1998 (both in HNHM) .

Diagnosis. Nemophora caeruliantenna resembles N. sakaii ( Figs. 37, 38 ), from which it differs by the brassy-green forewing with prominent brilliant luster, valvae fused to each other and to vinculum, spoon-shaped apex of phallus and well-sclerotised carinae with dorsally directed tips. From N. thailandensis ( Fig. 27 ) it differs by larger size, absence of light ochreous rings on distal flagellomeres, bright forewing colour, indistinct basal spot, and prominent expansion of fascia near the costal forewing margin.

Description. Male ( Fig. 36 ). FWL 8.0–10.0 mm, WLR 0.35–0.37. Vertex, frons, proboscis and palpi dark ochreous. PLB 0.6 × vertical eye diameter. Eyes enlarged, but not touching each other; interocular index 1.4–1.5; occipital distance 0.10–0.12. Antenna 2.4–2.9 × FWL, with simple inwardly directed pegs. Scape ventrolaterally ochreous, dorsally black, with brilliant luster; basal 15–18 flagellomeres thickened by appressed black scales; at level of forewing fascia antennal colour changes to grey and then to silver-white. Tegulae, thorax and forewing ( Fig. 78 ) brassy-green, with prominent brilliant luster. Basal spot indistinct, formed by 10–15 dark brown scales; dark brown scales scattered over wing surface irregularly, forming diffuse spots at both sides of fascia and also at outer wing margin. Internal margin of fascia at 0.3 × FWL; medial band of fascia bright ochreous, with red tint, very wide (0.30 × FWL) at costa but narrow (0.10 × FWL) at dorsum; on both sides surrounded by narrow belts of light grey scales, which can be distinguished from forewing background only due to absence of brilliant luster. Fringe brown. Hindwing light brown, basally semitranslucent; costal area light yellowish brown; lower side of hindwing uniformly coloured, without distinct light spot; fringe brown; R and M1 stalked. Femora and tibiae of fore and mid legs brown, of hind legs yellowish brown, darker distally; tarsomeres of all legs yellowish brown, darker distally. Epiphysis at 0.5, almost reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen light brown, tip (genital capsule) ventrally with tuft of ochreous scales.

Female unknown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 100 ). Tegumen wide, dome-shaped, with prominent medial ridge. Socii elongate, 1.0 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.9 × length of valva, V-shaped to U-shaped, with slightly convex lateral margins; distal margin indistinct (fused with valvae), with medial protuberance. Tips of valvae are at about same level as tip of tegumen. Ventral valvar margin with prominent (0.75 × length of valva) posteroventrally directed lobe (see from side); dorsal valvar margin gently S-shaped; tip of valva narrowly rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.2 × total length; internal valvar margins indistinct. Anellus 0.55 × length of valva, with wide proximal margin (2 × diameter of phallus, see from ventral side). Transtilla with long narrow medial process. Juxta 0.6 × length of phallus; arrow head moderately wide (WLR 0.5), with narrowly rounded tip and short rounded lateral arms. Phallus 1.15 × length of vinculum, C-shaped, with two well-sclerotised, apically hook-shaped, carinae articulated at 0.7 × length of phallus (counting from its base). Apex of phallus formed by ventrally directed spoon-shaped lobe; base narrowly funnel-shaped.

Distribution. Continental China ( Liao et al. 2023), Thailand (this study).

Biology. In Thailand, moths were collected by a light trap in an old-grown tropical forest.

Figures

FIGURES 33–40. Adults of Nemophora spp. 33, N.paradisea (Butler, 1881), female, from Kanzanji,Yogo-cho, Shiga Prefecture, Honshu, Japan; 34, N. decisella (Walker, 1863), male, from Rampayoh River, Brunei; 35, ditto, female, lectotype of Adela sythoffi Snellen, 1901, from Preanger, Java, Indonesia; 36, N. caeruliantenna Liao, Hirowatari & Huang in Liao et al., 2023, male, from Changwat Nan, Thailand; 37, N. sakaii (Matsumura, 1931), male, from Khao Yai National Park, Thailand; 38, ditto, female, from Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India; 39, N. auricapitella Kozlov, sp. nov., male, holotype, from Myeik, Myanmar; 40, ditto, female, paratype, from the same locality. Scale: 2 mm.

FIGURES 63–88. Forewing pattern of Nemophora spp. 63, N. nieukerkeni Kozlov, sp. nov.; 64, N. karsholti Kozlov, sp. nov.; 65, N. szabokyi Kozlov, sp. nov.; 66, N. aglaospila (Meyrick, 1928); 67, N. sinicella (Walker, 1863); 68, N. ahenea Stringer, 1930; 69, N. vietnamensis Kozlov, sp. nov.; 70, N. cleodoxa (Meyrick, 1922); 71, N. pyrotechna (Meyrick, 1912); 72, N. punctifasciella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 73, N. satrapodes (Meyrick, 1894); 74, N. thailandensis Kozlov, sp. nov.; 75, N. melichlorias (Meyrick, 1907); 76, N. nigripunctella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 77, N. chalcoptera Kozlov, sp. nov.; 78, N. caeruliantenna Liao, Hirowatari & Huang in Liao et al., 2023; 79, N. sakaii (Matsumura, 1931); 80, N. auricapitella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 81, N. umbripennis Stringer, 1930; 82, N. aurifera (Butler, 1881); 83, N. nielseni Kozlov, sp. nov.; 84, N. meyi Kozlov, sp. nov.; 85, N. yeni Kozlov, sp. nov.; 86, N. rubicunda Kozlov, sp. nov.; 87, N. pecuniosa (Meyrick, 1921); 88, N. kuznetzovi Kozlov, sp. nov. Scale 2 mm.

FIGURES 100–105. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 100, N. caeruliantenna Liao, Hirowatari & Huang in Liao et al., 2023; 101, N. sakaii (Matsumura, 1931); 102, N. auricapitella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 103, N. umbripennis Stringer, 1930; 104, N. aurifera (Butler, 1881); 105, N. nielseni Kozlov, sp. nov.; a: genital complex, ventral view (right valva not shown); b: genital complex, lateral view; c: juxta; d: phallus, ventral view; e: phallus, lateral view. Scale: 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 25–32. Adults of Nemophora spp. 25, N. punctifasciella Kozlov, sp. nov., male, paratype, from Sam Ngao, Thailand; 26, N. satrapodes (Meyrick, 1894), female, lectotype, from Nyaungshwe, Myanmar; 27, N. thailandensis Kozlov, sp. nov., female, holotype, from Khao Yai Mt., Thailand; 28, N. melichlorias (Meyrick, 1907), male, from Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand; 29, ditto, female, from the same locality; 30, N. nigripunctella Kozlov, sp. nov., female, holotype, from Phou Pane Mt., Laos; 31, N. chalcoptera Kozlov, sp. nov., female, holotype, from Phou Pane Mt., Laos; 32, N. paradisea (Butler, 1881), male, from Kanzanji, Yogo-cho, Shiga Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Scale: 2 mm.