Narycia emikoae Niitsu, Jinbo & Nasu

Niitsu, Shuhei, Jinbo, Utsugi & Nasu, Yoshitsugu, 2016, The first discovery of the genus Narycia (Lepidoptera, Psychidae) from Japan, with description of a new species, Nota Lepidopterologica 39 (2), pp. 137-143 : 138-141

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Psychidae

Narycia emikoae Niitsu, Jinbo & Nasu sp. n. Figs 1-3, 4-10, 11-12, 13-14

Diagnosis.

Small-sized blackish-brown moths (wing span 9.0-11.0 mm) with fully developed wings in both sexes. The present new species is closely similar to European Narycia astrella on the basis of wing color and pattern, but different from it as follows. The wing span of emikoae is much smaller than that of astrella (wing span 12-14 mm given by Kozhanchikov 1956). The large yellowish-white spot at the central costal area of the forewing in the female is much larger than that of astrella . It is smaller in size than astrella as the ratio of valva and phallus in emikoae is 1.0, while that of astrella is about 0.6 ( Dierl 1972).

Adult (Figs 1, 2). Head clothed with light greyish-yellow hair-like scales. Antenna simple, greyish-yellow, nearly as long as half-length of forewings. Thorax and tegula blackish brown. This new species shows distinct sexual dimorphism on the point of forewing spot patterns and wing size. Forewing expanse 10.5-11.0 mm in male, and 9.0-11.0 mm in female. Forewing conspicuously triangular, narrow, blackish brown with scattered pale yellowish spots. Costal area with a row of 3-4 small clearly defined spots in both sexes. The large yellowish-white spot at the central costal area of the forewing in the female is much larger than that of male. Forewing cilia of male brown, in contrast that of female striped between greyish-yellow and blackish-brown. Hindwings narrower than forewings. Fore-tibia with a hair tuft (Figs 9-10, arrow), but lacks epiphysis in both sexes. Abdomen covered with fuscous to blackish brown scales.

Venation of wings (Figs 4, 5). Venation typical of Narycia . Sc terminating before middle to costa; R1 from near middle of dicoidal cell; R4+R5 fused. Forewings with accessary cell cut off at upper angle of discoidal cell by the stem of R4+5. The R4+5 reaches costa. M-stem clearly observed. The media divides the discoidal cell in half. The two branches of the cubitus are short and widely separated. 1A+2A form a short cell in the basal area and are fused in the middle area. Hindwing media simple in discoidal cell; M1 to termen; M3 nearer to CuA1 than M2; 1A and 2A separate; 3A absent.

Male genitalia (Figs 11, 12). Tegumen slightly long. Uncus rudimentary. Vinculum long and narrow; saccus small. Phallus slender, curved without cornutus, and same length as valva (Fig. 11). Valva almost rectangular; costa armed with several setae basally; sacculus sharply protruded, becoming a finger-like process.

Female genitalia (Fig. 13). Papilla analis slender, bearing several long setae.

Ovipositor long. Apophysis posterioris slender, longer than apophysis anterioris. Ostium bursae opens in a posterior position on segment VIII, but unclear (Fig. 13o). Ductus bursae narrow, weakly sclerotized (Fig. 13d). Corpus bursae small, weakly sclerotized, without signum (Fig. 13c). Seventh sternite with a pair of semi-circular sclerotizations (Fig. 13s), armed with a large hair-tuft (Fig. 14).

Distribution.

Japan (Gunma Pref., central Honshu).

DNA barcode.

Sequences of DNA barcode region were obtained from two specimens and registered to DDBJ (Accession No. LC160294, 287 bp; LC160295, 648 bp). No difference was found between 287 bp of the two obtained fragments. According to a search using BOLD identification engine, the DNA barcode sequence of the new species is the closest to those of Narycia duplicella with 96.53 to 97.25% similarity. The difference between the DNA barcode sequences of two species suggests that the two species should be recognized as distinct species. On the other hand, we cannot compare the new species and Narycia astrella because there is no registered sequence of the latter species in BOLD database.

Type material.

Holotype - Male. Yunomaru-kougen, Gunma Pref., Honshu, Japan, 1. vii. 2011 (emerg.), S. Niitsu (Coll. ID NSMT:I-L:30417). Paratypes: 2 males, same locality as the holotype, 25. vi. 2015 (emerg.), S. Niitsu (NSMT:I-L:30420; Accession No. LC160294), 28. vi. 2015 (emerg.), S. Niitsu (NSMT:I-L:30421; Accession No. LC160295); 2 females, same locality as holotype, 22. vi. 2013 (emerg.), E. Niitsu (NSMT:I-L:30418), 27. vi. 2013 (emerg.), E. Niitsu (NSMT:I-L:30419). Types are deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan.

Biology.

Larvae feed on lichens. The larval case is oval, covered with dark green lichen and sand (Fig. 3). Length of the full-grown larval cases is 5.1-5.5 mm. The larval cases of this species have a triangular cross section and resemble those of related Narycia species. They are found on rocks and stone monuments that are covered with bryophytes and lichens. Adults emerge from late June to early July in mountainous areas of central Honshu. Field work has shown that the new species appears to have a two-year life cycle, from egg to adult.

Etymology.

The species name is dedicated to Emiko Niitsu, who helped us to collect the bagworm of the new species.