Nymphicula irianalis, Agassiz, David, 2014

Agassiz, David, 2014, A preliminary study of the genus Nymphicula Snellen from Australia, New Guinea and the south Pacific (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Acentropinae), Zootaxa 3774 (5), pp. 401-429 : 408

Nymphicula irianalis sp. n.

Description of adult (fig. 11). Wingspan 13mm. Head pale straw; labial palpus terminal segment pale straw; second segment with dark brown scales; antenna pale fuscous.

Forewing base brown; antemedian fascia pale yellow; middle section of costa mixed pale yellow and pale fuscous; median zone irregularly scaled dark brown; first strigula inwardly edged fuscous; second strigula with lower half leaden, thinly edged blackish on outside in middle; terminal area yellow projecting into median zone; tornal spot pointed towards disc, silver grey; terminal cilia with fuscous line, white above tornus.

Hindwing base fuscous; subbasal fascia white; a silver grey tornal spot followed by a yellow streak from dorsum; antemedian fascia white, irregularly edged fuscous on both sides; median zone irregularly scattered with dark brown scales; submarginal line clear, fuscous, distinctly paler than scaling of median zone; five distinct eyespots separated by silver grey studs, with yellow against termen; a large silver grey spot before first eye-spot; dorsal cilia yellow. Legs straw, forelegs of male thickened with dull fuscous scales on tibia and first tarsus.

Tympanal organs (fig. 37): Venulae secundae slightly divergent; venula media almost as long as venulae secundae; tympanum rounded at anterior end.

Male genitalia (fig. 37): Abdomen with hair pencils one third length of abdomen; eighth segment without an additional pair of scent organs. Valva bluntly pointed with a tuft of hair at apex, length 5x width. Aedeagus weak, no cornutus discernible.

Female genitalia (fig. 59): Ostial chamber long, one half length of corpus bursae; ductus very short, corpus bursae "sock-shaped", signum comprising a dentate patch extending from "heel" about halfway to apex.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ Mt. Goliath| 500ft Centr. | Dutch New Guinea | about 139˚ long.,| February 1911. | (A.S.Meek) BMNH Pyralidae slide No. 17567 and paratype ♂ same data BMNH Pyralidae slide No. 17566.

Diagnosis. Distinguished by the broad yellowish costa beyond the subbasal fascia and the first costal strigula.

Derivation. from the Western part of New Guinea: Irian Jaya.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.