Nemophora laurella ( Newman, 1856 )

Kozlov, Mikhail V., 2016, Taxonomic revision of Australian long-horn moths of the genus Nemophora (Lepidoptera: Adelidae), Zootaxa 4097 (1), pp. 84-100 : 91-94

Nemophora laurella ( Newman, 1856)

( Figs. 9, 10 , 18, 41–45, 55, 56, 59, 60)

Adela laurella: Newman 1856: 290 . Holotype: Australia, Victoria, Mt. Alexander range (approx. 37ºS, 144ºE); presumably lost. Walker 1863: 502; Meyrick 1886: 530 (as a synonym of Nemotois sparsellus ).

Nematois [sic!] laurella: Walsingham & Durrant 1900: 584 .

Nemotois laurella: Meyrick [1893]: 484–485, 1912a: 6, 1912b: 8 (as a questionable synonym of N. orichalcias ).

Nemophora laurella: Nielsen 1996: 31 .

Nemotois sparsella: Walker 1863: 506 . Lectotype ♂ (here designated): Australia; labelled: 8 mm circle with violet margin, print ‘Lecto- | type’; 8 mm circle with red margin, print ‘Type’; 4 × 10 mm, print ‘58124 | Australia.’; 14 × 25 mm, wide black frame, black ink + print ‘ NEMOTOIS | SPARSELLA . Wkr. | Cat. Lep. Het. 28. p. 506. 1863 | TYPE ♂’; 5 × 33 mm, print ‘24. Nemotois SPARSELLA’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ LECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois sparsella | Walker, 1863 | M. Kozlov design. 1999’; 8 × 13 mm, print ‘B. M. | Genitalia slide | No. 27833’ (NHM) [examined]. Paralectotype ♂, labelled: 8 mm circle with blue margin, print ‘Para- | lecto- | type’; 4 × 10 mm, print ‘58124 | Australia.’; 15 × 24 mm, wide black frame, black ink + print ‘ NEMOTOIS | Sparsella , Wkr. | PARATYPE 1/1’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois sparsella | Walker, 1863 | M. Kozlov design. 1999’ (NHM) [examined]. Meyrick 1912a: 6, 1912b: 8; Turner 1913: 225; Tillyard 1926: Plate 27.3 (male).

Nemotois sparsellus: Meyrick 1886: 530 , [1893]: 483–484.

Nemophora sparsella: Common 1970: 793 , Plate 7i (male, colour figure); Nielsen 1996: 31 (as a junior synonym of N. chrysolamprella ).

Adela chrysolamprella: Rosenstock 1885: 438 . Holotype ♀: S. Australia; labelled: 8 mm circle with red margin, print ‘Holo- | type’; 7 mm circle with red margin, print ‘Type’; 8 × 7 mm, black ink ‘S. Australia |.85.121. | 223.’, reverse side: ‘ Adela | Chryso- | lamprella, | Rosenstock | Type.’; 8 × 21 mm, black frame, black ink ‘ Nemophora | Lamprella Rosnsk’; 8 × 18 mm, print + black ink ‘Specimen photographed | E. S. Nielsen | ANIC 1984’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ HOLOTYPE ♀ | Adela chrysolamprella | Rosenstock, 1885 | M. Kozlov design. 1999’ (NHM) [examined]. Meyrick 1886: 530 (as a synonym of Nemotois sparsellus ), [1893]: 485, 1912a: 6 (as a synonym of Nemotois sparsella ), 1912b: 8 (ibid.).

Nemophora chrysolamprella: Nielsen 1996: 31 .

Nemotois topazias: Meyrick [1893]: 485–486, syn. n. Lectotype ♂ (here designated): S. Australia, Wirrabara (33º02'S, 138º16'E); labelled: 8 mm circle with violet margin, print ‘Lecto- | type’; 4 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Wirrabara | S. Australia | 29/ 10/[18]82’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | topazias | 3/9 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’; 6 × 14 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. | B.M. 1938-290.’; 8 × 18 mm, print + black ink ‘Specimen photographed | E. S. Nielsen | ANIC 1984’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ LECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois topazias | Meyrick, 1893 | M. Kozlov design. 2005’ (NHM) [examined]. Paralectotypes: 3 ♂ 1 ♀, labelled: 4 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Wirrabara | S. Australia | 29/10/[18]82’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | topazias | x/9 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll. ’ [♂: x=1, 4, 7; ♀: x=8]. 1 ♂, labelled: 4 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Georges Bay | Tasmania | 31/12/[18]84’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | topazias | 2/9 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’; 8 × 13 mm, print ‘B. M. | Genitalia slide | No. 27834’. 1 ♂ 1 ♀, labelled: 4 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Blackheath | N. S. Wales | 16/3/[18]78’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | topazias | x/9 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’ [♂: x=5; ♀: x=6]. 1 ♀, labelled: 4 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Wirrabara | S. Australia | 29/10/[18]82’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | topazias | 8/9 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’; 3 × 19 mm, black ink ‘ topazias Meyr. ’. All paralectotypes bear the following labels: 8 mm circle with blue margin, print ‘Para- | lecto- | type’; 6 × 14 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. | B.M. 1938-290.’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♂ [or ♀] | Nemotois topazias | Meyrick, 1893 | M. Kozlov design. 2005’ (all in NHM) [examined]. Meyrick 1912a: 6, 1912b: 8; Turner 1913: 225.

Nematois [sic!] topazias: Walsingham & Durrant 1900: 584 .

Nemophora topazias: Common 1970: 793, 1990: 165 , Figs. 16.15 (male), 64.3 (male genitalia, as Nemophora sp.); Nielsen 1996: 31.

Nemotois orichalcias: Meyrick [1893]: 484–485. Lectotype ♂ ( Fig. 9 ; here designated): Australia, New South Wales, Bowenfels (33o31'S, 150o07'E); labelled: 8 mm circle with violet margin, print ‘Lecto- | type’; 5 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Bowenfels | N. S. Wales | 11/1/[18]78’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. | B.M. 1938-290’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | orichalcias | 1/14 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’; 9 × 19 mm, print + black ink ‘Specimen photographed | E. S. Nielsen | ANIC 1984’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ LECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois orichalcias | Meyrick, 1893 | M. Kozlov design. 2005’ (NHM) [examined]. Paralectotypes: 4 ♂ 3 ♀, labelled: 5 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Bowenfels | N. S. Wales | 11/1/[18]78’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | orichalcias | x/14 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’ [♂: x=2, 4, 5, 10; ♀: x=6, 7, 9]. 1 ♂, labelled: 5 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Bowenfels | N. S. Wales | 11/1/[18]78’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | orichalcias | 3/14 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’; 8 × 13 mm, print ‘B. M. | Genitalia slide | No. 27835’. All paralectotypes bear the following labels: 8 mm circle with blue margin, print ‘Para- | lecto- | type’; 6 × 14 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. | B.M. 1938-290.’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♂ [or ♀] | Nemotois orichalcias | Meyrick, 1893 | M. Kozlov design. 2005’ (all in NHM) [examined]. Meyrick 1912a: 6, 1912b: 8 (as a questionable synonym of N. laurella ); Turner 1913: 226.

Nematois [sic!] orichalcias: Walsingham & Durrant 1900: 584 (as a junior synonym of N. laurella ).

Nemophora orichalcias: Common, 1990: 165 , Fig. 16.16 (female); Nielsen 1996: 31 (as a junior synonym of N. laurella ).

Nemotois selasphora: Turner 1913: 227 , syn. n. Lectotype ♂ (here designated): Australia, Queensland, Mt. Tamburine (approx. 27o43'S, 153o09'E); labelled: 5 × 18 mm, print + black ink ‘Mt. Tambourine | Q. Nov.’; 8 × 14 mm, red paper, print + black ink ‘ HOLOTYPE | Nemotois | selasphora | Turner’; 5 × 17 mm, black ink ‘ Nemotois TYPE | selasphora Turn. ’; 10 × 12 mm, red paper, print + black ink ‘ SYNTYPE | Nemotois | selasphora | Turner’; 10 × 20 mm, print ‘ LECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois selasphora | Turner, 1913 | M. Kozlov design. 2002’ (ANIC) [examined]. Paralectotypes: 1 ♂, labelled: 5 × 18 mm, print + black ink ‘Mt. Tambourine | Q. Nov.’; 10 × 12 mm, red paper, print + black ink ‘ SYNTYPE | Nemotois | selasphora | Turner’; 10 × 20 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois selasphora | Turner, 1913 | M. Kozlov design. 2002’ (ANIC) [examined]. 1 ♂, labelled: 8 mm circle with blue margin, print ‘Para- | lecto- | type’; 8 mm circle with yellow margin, print ‘Para- | type’; 4 × 9 mm, black ink ‘Mt Tambourine | Queensland | AST[urner]..11.[19]12’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | selasphora | 1/1 Turn. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. | B.M. 1938-290’; 3 × 21 mm, black ink ‘ selasphora Turn’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois selasphora | Turner, 1913 | M. Kozlov design. 1999’; 8 × 13 mm, print ‘B. M. | Genitalia slide | No. 27832’ (NHM) [examined].

Nemophora selasphora: Nielsen 1996: 31 .

Other material. Australia. 4 ♂, S. Australia. 2 ♂, S. Australia, parkside. 1 ♂, Queensland, 1907 (R.). 17 ♂ 13 ♀, Queensland, Toowong, 24.xii.1896 (Dodd); 1 ♂, ibid., 17.xii.1896; 4 ♂ 2 ♀, ibid., 20.xii.1897; 1 ♂, ibid, 4.iii.1897. 1 ♂, N. Queensland, 1894 (Meek). 1 ♂, N. S. Wales, Tamworth, 9.x.1892 (Olliff). 1 ♂, N. S. Wales, Dalmorton, 1892 (Olliff). 4 ♂, N. S. Wales, Parramatta, ii.1878 (Raynor); 1 ♂, ibid., 20.x.1878; 1 ♀, ibid., 29.xi.1879; 1 ♂, ibid., 2.iii1879. 1 ♂ 1 ♀, N. S. Wales (Malheus). 1 ♂ 2 ♀, N. S. Wales, Blackheath, iii.1879 (Raynor); 2 ♂, N. S. Wales, Illawarra, xii.1923 (S.). 4 ♂, N. S. Wales, Sydney, iii.1924 (S.). 6 ♂, Victoria, Brighton, 13.i.1879 (Raynor). 32 ♂ 2 ♀, Victoria, near Melbourne, Studley Park, ii.1889 (Anderson). 1 ♂, Victoria, Macedon, 21.xii.1900 (Turner) (all in NHM).

Diagnosis. N. laurella differs from all other Australian species of the genus Nemophora by unpatterned dorsal half of forewing base, which is of the same colour as the distal part of forewing. In male genitalia structure N. laurella is similar to N. doddi , from which differs by semicircular, smoothly curved ventral margin of valva (see from the side), relatively longer vinculum (4.0 × length of valva) and shorter juxta (0.3 × length of phallus).

Description. Male ( Figs. 9 , 18). FWL 4.2–5.3 mm, WLR 0.35–0.39. Vertex with mixture of light yellow and dark brown piliform scales; frons glossy golden. PLB 0.5–0.7 × vertical eye diameter and 1.3–1.5 × scapus, light yellow to almost white, with sparse brown piliform scales. Proboscis brown, base with dense tuft of bronze scales. Eyes enlarged; interocular index 1.0–1.2; occipital index 0.10–0.15. Length of antenna 3.1–3.2 × FWL. Scape and flagellum dark bronze to bronze; scape with coppery lustre; pegs absent; basal 15–25 flagellar segment with rings of light brown scales (in some specimens these rings are almost indistinct). Tegulae and thorax dark bronze. Forewing glossy bronze to coppery bronze. Pattern of forewing base variable: glossy golden spot along costa and dark brown longitudinal spot are present in all specimens; in addition, some specimens have second glossy golden spot between stems M and CuA, while in other specimens this area is pale yellow. However, forewing base below CuA stem is always glossy bronze. Fascia is formed by a mixture (approximately 3: 2) of dark brown and yellow to almost white scales sometimes arranged in narrow alternating lines (one scale in width); in some specimens, yellow scales are more frequent on internal side of fascia; shape of fascia variable, but generally width of fascia at costa is 1.5 × width at dorsum. External margin of fascia usually formed by dark brown scales. Tornal spot usually dark brown, although in some specimens it is scattered by yellow scales. Fringe bronze. Hindwing base light brown, apical half of hindwing brown with slight bronze tint; costal area grey; fringe light brown to grey. Legs bronze to brown, apices of all tibiae and tarsomeres distally darker, sometimes with coppery tint. Epiphysis at 0.45–0.65, not reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen brown with bronze lustre; basal sternites glossy golden.

Female ( Fig. 10 ). FWL 3.8–5.0 mm. Antenna 1.5–1.6 × FWL, base not thickened. Vertex pale yellow. Posterior margins of pregenital abdominal tergites brownish yellow. Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 41–45 , 55, 56 , 59, 60 ). Tegumen hood-shaped, with small medial ridge. Socius elongate, 0.8 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 4.0 × length of valva, with almost straight lateral margins and gently waveshaped distal margin. Apex of valva at about the same level as the apex of tegumen. Ventral margin of valva slightly convex, but without a distinct lobe; dorsal margin gently S-shaped; apex of valva pointed. Valvae fused basally up to 0.10–0.15 × total length; internal margins of valvae indistinct. Anellus 0.4 × length of valva. Transtilla with short narrow medial process. Juxta 0.3 × length of phallus; arrow head wide (WLR 0.7), with pointed tip and short pointed lateral arms. Phallus 1.05 × length of vinculum, almost straight; apical part ( Figs. 59, 60 ) with two hook-like processes; base of phallus narrowly funnel-shaped.

Biology. Adults (identified as N. sparsella or N. orichalcias ) were observed around Bursaria spinosa (Pittosporaceae) flowers. The larvae (identified as N. topazias ) feed with flower buds of Acacia baileyana (Mimosaceae) , and then with fallen flowers on the ground ( Common 1970, 1990).

Comments. Whereabouts of the holotype of Adela laurella Newman remain unknown. The type was not found in either NHM or in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Dr. George C. McGavin, pers. comm.), which contains a part of Newman’s collection ( Horn et al. 1990). However, since the identity of this species currently does not cause doubts, there is no need in designation of neotype.

Direct comparison of the type specimens of N. sparsella , N. topazias , N. orichalcias and N. selasphora revealed only the differences that are quite minor compared with the differences between other Austarlian species, and which are within the limits of individual variability as can be concluded from investigation of several common Palaearctic and exotic species (e.g. Kozlov & Robinson 1995). Already Meyrick [1893] mentioned that N. laurella , N. orichalcias , and N. sparsella may appear conspecific; he emphasised large external similarity between N. topazias , N. orichalcias and N. sparsella , but distinguished N. topazias mainly by the presence of yellow spot in the medial part of forewing base. However, wing pattern of this species is extremely variable: expression of yellow spot in specimens from the same series varies from very small to exceeding in width dark brown basal spot. Moreover, even left and right wings of the same specimen sometimes differ in this character. Therefore I consider N. laurella (sensu lato) as a common variable species. There indeed exist a probability that this morphospecies consists of several biologically distinct species, but this hypothesis cannot be verified without receiving additional ecological information and conducting DNA analysis.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 13. Adults of Nemophora spp. from Australia. 9, N. laurella (Newman), male, from Bowenfels [lectotype of N. orichalcias (Meyrick)]; 10, ditto, female, from Toowong; 11, N. doddi sp. nov., male, holotype, from Kuranda; 12, ditto, female, paratype, from Huberton Hills; 13, N. polydaedala (Turner), male, holotype, from Kuranda. Scale: 2 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 50. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. from Australia. 21 – 25, N. brachypetala (Meyrick); 26 – 30, N. opalina (Meyrick); 31 – 35, N. panaeola (Turner); 36 – 40, N, turneri sp. nov.; 41 – 45, N. laurella (Newman); 46 – 50, N. doddi sp. nov. 21, 26, 31, 36, 41, 46: genital complex, ventral view (right valva not shown); 22, 27, 32, 37, 42, 47: genital complex, lateral view; 23, 27, 33, 37, 43, 47: juxta; 24, 28, 34, 38, 44, 48: phallus, ventral view; 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50: phallus, lateral view. Scale: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 51 – 57. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. from Australia. 51 – 52, N. brachypetala (Meyrick), holotype, gen. prep. 29430 (NHM); 53 – 54, N. opalina (Meyrick), paralectotype, gen. prep. 27831 (NHM); 55, N. laurella (Newman), gen. prep. 27832 (NHM) [paralectotype of N. selasphora (Turner)]; 56, ditto, gen. prep. 27833 (NHM) [lectotype of N. sparsella (Walker)]; 57, N. doddi sp. nov., gen. prep. 31271 (NHM). 51, 53, 55 – 57: genital complex, ventral view; 52, 54: phallus, lateral view. Scale: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 58 – 61. Apical part of phallus of Nemophora spp. from Australia (lateral view). 58, N. brachypetala (Meyrick), holotype, gen. prep. 29430 (NHM); 59, N. laurella (Newman), gen. prep. 27832 (NHM) [paralectotype of N. selasphora (Turner)]; 60, ditto, gen. prep. 27833 (NHM) [lectotype of N. sparsella (Walker)]; 61, N. doddi sp. nov., gen. prep. 31271 (NHM). Scale: 0.1 mm.