Nemophora karsholti Kozlov, 2024

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 : 13-14

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5423.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:622D5264-DBE2-463B-9A8C-AD1C77C90254
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10806107
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C3861A25-C338-4ED5-A62F-1B62DCC94D03
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:C3861A25-C338-4ED5-A62F-1B62DCC94D03
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Nemophora karsholti Kozlov
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Nemophora karsholti Kozlov , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C3861A25-C338-4ED5-A62F-1B62DCC94D03

( Figs. 3, 4 View FIGURES 1–8 , 64 View FIGURES 63–88 , 90 View FIGURES 89–93 )

Holotype ♂: Thailand , Doi Inthanon National Park (18° 32' N, 98° 36' E); labelled: 7 × 18 mm, print ‘ THAILAND: Chieng Mai Provence │ Doi Inthanon Nat. park │ 22.–23.X.1984, 2200–2500 m │ Karsholt, Lomholdt & Nielsen leg. │ Zool. Mus., Copenhagen’; 7 × 19 mm, print GoogleMaps : ‘ HOLOTYPE ♂ │ Nemophora karsholti │ Kozlov’ ( ZMUC) [examined] . Paratypes. 25 ♂ 2 ♀, same label as in holotype; 7 × 19 mm, print: ‘ PARATYPE ♂ [or ♀] │ Nemophora karsholti │ Kozlov’ ( ZMUC) [examined] .

Diagnosis. Nemophora karsholti is most similar to N. nieukerkeni ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–8 ), from which it differs by silver-grey longitudinal stripes on both sides of CuP stem in the basal part of the forewing, large (0.7 × forewing width) silver-grey transverse spot between fascia and longitudinal stripes in the basal part of the forewing, the silver-grey spot in the apical part of forewing not reaching costal margin, the similar colour of the apical part of forewing on both sides of silver-grey spot, short carinae on phallus (reaching only 0.2 × of its total length) and hook-shaped process on the dorsal lobe of phallus. In the forewing pattern N. karsholti resembles also N. recurvatifera , from which it differs by the silver-grey spot in the apical part of forewing not connected to the outer wing margin, long and narrow vinculum (3.4–3.5 × length of valva), shape of valva and, likely, presence of carinae on phallus (this character is not visible in male genitalia illustration published by Sun et al. 2022).

Description. Male ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–8 ). FWL 8.8–10.7 mm, WLR 0.25–0.27. Vertex light yellow to light ochreous, with sparse dark brown piliform scales along occipital margin; frons glossy bronze. PLB 1.1–1.5 × vertical eye diameter (1.2–1.3 × length of scape), pale yellow to light brown, dorsally with appressed yellow scales, ventrally with raised piliform dark brown scales. Proboscis brown to bronze, its base with coppery brown scales. Eyes not enlarged; interocular index 0.55–0.60. Antenna 3.7–4.2 × FWL, with simple inwardly directed pegs. Scape dark coppery brown dorsolaterally, light yellow ventrally; basal part of flagellum dark coppery brown; colour of flagellum at level of forewing fascia gradually changes to silver-grey. Tegulae and thorax glossy bronze. Forewing ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 63–88 ) ochreous to ochreous brown; costal and dorsal margins basally dark brown; basal part with three silver-grey longitudinal stripes: first along costal margin, second between M and CuP stems, and third between CuP stem and dorsal margin; distal part of second stripe turns towards costal margin. Transverse silver-grey spot extending to 0.75 × forewing width is located between distal ends of these bands and fascia. Proximal margin of fascia at 0.55–0.60 × FWL; fascia consists of three bands of about same width; medial band ochreous, of same colour as forewing background, but in some specimens its colour changes from ochreous brown at costal margin to pale yellow at dorsal margin; lateral bands glossy grey. Apical part of forewing with thin oblique dark brown spot at costa and elongate (WLR 0.25) glossy grey spot along outer margin; wing margin around apex dark brown. Fringe dark brown at costa, bronze at apex, brown at dorsum. Hindwing brown basally to coppery brown apically; costal area light grey; R and M1 stalked; fringe grey at wing base to brown at apex. Fore and mid legs coppery brown dorsally and yellow ventrally; hind legs bronze dorsally and yellow ventrally; apices of all tarsomeres yellow. Epiphysis at 0.5, almost reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen brown; distal margins of sternites yellow.

Female ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Antenna 1.3 × FWL, its basal part (0.6 × total length) dark brown, distal part of flagellum brown. Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 90 View FIGURES 89–93 ). Tegumen dome-shaped, with prominent medial ridge. Socii 1.3–1.5 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 3.4–3.5 × length of valva, Y-shaped, with slightly concave lateral margins; distal margin nearly straight. Tip of tegumen extends far beyond tips of valvae. Ventral margin of valva slightly bent at the middle; dorsal margin nearly straight; tip of valva narrowly rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.2–0.3 × total length; valvar margins at place of fusion clearly visible. Anellus 0.3 × length of valva, reaches base of valva. Transtilla with long pointed medial process. Anal cone with distinct triangular sclerotisation around tip of medial process of transtilla. Juxta 0.4 × length of phallus; arrow head moderately wide (WLR 0.4–0.5), with pointed tip and long pointed lateral arms. Phallus 1.15–1.20 × length of vinculum, almost straight; ventrally with two symmetrical carinae attached at 0.68–0.73 × its length (counting from base); tip of phallus funnel-shaped, dorsal wall with finger-like process at the base of apical funnel; base of phallus bell-shaped.

Distribution. Thailand (this study).

Etymology. The species is named after one of its collectors, Ole Karsholt, a Danish entomologist working on taxonomy and faunistics of Microlepidoptera.

Comments. This species was recently photographed at the type locality (https://www.inaturalist.org/ observations/193410341).