Nemophora tenuitella Kozlov, 2023

Kozlov, Mikhail V., 2023, Fairy moths of the genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg, 1798 (Lepidoptera: Adelidae) of India and Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 5300 (1), pp. 1-81 : 19

Nemophora tenuitella Kozlov , sp. nov.

( Figs. 15 , 77 , 116 , 147 )

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2412966C-CA73-4811-9E3D-936353E5A09B

Holotype ♁: India, Bengal, Darjeeling (27°02′ N, 88°16′ E); labeled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo-│type’; 5 × 14 mm, black ink ‘Darjeiling │ 1865’; 8 × 13 mm, black ink ‘Atkinson │ 1865’; 6 × 12 mm, print ‘Stainton Coll. │ Brit. Mus. │ 1893‒134.’; 8 × 12 mm, print ‘B. M. │ Genitalia slide │ No. 31812’; 7 × 16 mm, print ‘HOLOTYPE ♁ │ Nemophora │ tenuitella Kozlov’ ( NHM) . Paratype ♁, labeled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘Para- │ type’; 4 × 7 mm, black ink ‘Khas[i]. H[ills]. │ 7‒8.[18]99’; 6 × 15 mm, black ink ‘ Adela │ tenuatella’; 7 × 16 mm, print ‘ PARATYPE ♁ │ Nemophora │ tenuitella Kozlov’ ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. Nemophora tenuitella is nearest to N. diakonoffi Kozlov, 2023 (replacement name for the junior subjective homonym N. divina Diakonoff, 1951 , described from Indonesia), from which it differs by the deep orange-ochreous vertex, longer vinculum and the absence of two slender curved apical hooks at the tip of phallus. Nemophora tenuitella also resembles N. mediangusa Sun et Li, 2023 , from which it differs by the angulate (bent at 90‒100 degrees) external silver band in the forewing fascia, longer PLB, shorer male antenna (relative to FWL) and thin and bifurcate apical part of phallus, which lacks hook-shaped structures characteristic for N. mediangusa .

Description. Male ( Fig. 15 ). FWL 6.8‒7.2 mm, WLR 0.26. Vertex ochreous; frons glossy bronze, with a row of yellow hair-like scales above antennal sockets. PLB 1.0 × vertical eye diameter (0.9‒1.0 × length of scape), pale yellow, with sparse raised hair-like scales that are yellow at base of palpus and brown at apical segment. Proboscis brown, base covered with yellow scales. Eyes not enlarged; interocular index 0.60‒0.75. Antenna 3.3 × FWL; pegs present. Scape bronze dorsolaterally, yellow ventrally; flagellum bronze basally to brownish grey apically. Tegulae and thorax dark bronze to coppery bronze. Forewing ( Fig. 77 ) bright yellow; costal margin with bronze stripe; basal part with two longitudinal silver stripes along RS and CuP stems and with four thin dark brown lines parallel to these stripes; dorsal margin widely suffused with brown scales. Internal margin of yellow transverse band nearly straight, reaches costa at 0.48 × FWL; on both sides, this band bordered by ochreous bands followed by silver-grey bands. The external silver bands bent at angle of 90‒100 degrees; not interrupted in the middle. Apical part of forewing dark brown, with seven yellow longitudinal stripes almost reaching wing margins. Fringe bronze to brown. Hindwing brown; costal area grey; fringe brown to grey. Legs coppery brown dorsally, yellow ventrally. Epiphysis at 0.55, almost reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen bronze.

Female unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 116 , 147 ). Tegumen widely dome-shaped, without medial ridge. Socii elongate, 1.0 × diameter of aedeagus. Vinculum 2.2 × length of valva, with nearly straight margins. Tip of tegumen extends beyond tips of valvae. Basal 0.6 of valva wide, rounded; dorsal margin gently W-shaped; tip narrowly rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.3 × total length; their internal margins distinct. Anellus 0.3 × length of valva, medially with distinct incess. Transtilla with short medial process. Juxta 0.65 × length of phallus; arrow head narrow (WLR 0.4), with narrowly rounded tip and short rounded lateral arms. Phallus 1.1 × length of vinculum, bent at 0.8 of total length (see from the side); distal part directed posteroventrally, consists of shorter dorsal lobe and longer ventral lobe; base of aedeagus funnel-shaped.

Distribution. India (Bengal, Meghalaya).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from tenuis (Latin: delicate, little, slender, fine) and refers to narrow forewing with well-elaborated pattern.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Adults of Nemophora spp. 9, N. ornamentella Kozlov, sp. nov., male, holotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 10, ditto, female, paratype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 11, N. fluorites (Meyrick, 1907), male, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 12, ditto, female, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 13, N. manipurella Kozlov, sp. nov., male, holotype, from Mao, Manipur, India; 14, N. mediseorsa Sun et Li, 2023, male, from Margherita, Assam, India; 15, N. tenuitella Kozlov, sp. nov., paratype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 16, N. assamensis Kozlov, 1997, male, holotype, from Margherita, Assam, India. Scale: 2 mm.

FIGURES 69–92. Forewing pattern of Nemophora spp. 69, N. sporodesma (Meyrick, 1928); 70, N. phryganeella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 71, N. seraphias (Meyrick, 1907); 72, N. engraptes (Meyrick, 1907), typical form; 73, N. ornamentella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 74, N. fluorites (Meyrick, 1907); 75, N. manipurella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 76, N. mediseorsa Sun et Li, 2023; 77, N. tenuitella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 78, N. assamensis Kozlov, 1997; 79, N. augantha (Meyrick, 1907); 80, N. chionites (Meyrick, 1907); 81, N. cassiterites (Meyrick, 1907); 82, N. griseella (Walsingham, 1880); 83, N. ischnodesma (Meyrick, 1928); 84, N. asterodoxa (Meyrick, 1928); 85, N. chalcomis (Meyrick, 1907); 86, N. phoenicites (Meyrick, 1907); 87, N. atkinsonii (Moore, 1887); 88, N. gemmella (Walsingham, 1880); 89, N. neurias (Meyrick, 1922); 90, N. chrysoprasias (Meyrick, 1907); 91, N. indica (Walker, 1863); 92, N. ceylonella Kozlov, sp. nov. Scale 2 mm.

FIGURES 115–121. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 115, N. mediseorsa Sun et Li, 2023; 116, N. tenuitella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 117, N. augantha (Meyrick, 1907); 118, N. chalcomis (Meyrick, 1907); 119, N. phoenicites (Meyrick, 1907); 120, N. gemmella (Walsingham, 1880); 121, N. neurias (Meyrick, 1922); 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 144–147. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 144, N. ornamentella Kozlov, sp. nov., holotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India, gen. prep. 29998 (NHM); 145, N. manipurella Kozlov, sp. nov., holotype, from Mao, Manipur, India, gen. prep. 29991 (NHM); 146, N. mediseorsa Sun et Li, 2023, from Margherita, Assam, India, gen. prep. 29994 (NHM); 147, N. tenuitella Kozlov, sp. nov., holotype, from Darjeeling, Bengal, India, gen. prep. 31812 (NHM); a: genital complex, ventral view; b: phallus; c: apex of phallus. Scale: 0.2 mm (valid for a and b only).