Nephelobotys denticulatus Ko & Bae, 2022

Ko, Jae-Ho, Bayarsaikhan, Ulziijargal, Lee, Tak-Gi & Bae, Yang-Seop, 2022, The monotypic genus Nephelobotys Munroe & Mutuura, 1970 (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Pyraustinae): two new species from Laos and a newly combined species from Korea, Zootaxa 5188 (3), pp. 264-274 : 266-267

Nephelobotys denticulatus Ko & Bae , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 3 , 5 , 9 , 12 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Laos, Phosabous National Protected Area, Ban Tha , Xieng Khouang Prov., 24 VII 2018 (Bae Y.S., Lee D.J., Ko J.H., Lee T.G., Jang C.M., U. Bayarsaikhan), (19°44´55.46”N 103°35´5.46”E Alt. 1158 m), genitalia slide no. INU-7043L (deposited in NIBR) . Paratypes (4 ♂, 2 ♀): LAOS : 1 ♂, Phosabous National Protected Area, Ban Tha , Xieng Khouang Prov., 24 VII 2018 (Bae Y.S., Lee D.J., Ko J.H., Lee T.G., Jang C.M., U. Bayarsaikhan), (19°44´55.46”N 103°35´5.46”E Alt. 1158 m), genitalia slide no. INU-7044L ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Phosabous National Protected Area, Ban Tha , Xieng Khouang Prov., 4 IV 2016 (Bae Y.S., Park B.S., Na S.M., Kim J.W., Lee D.J.), (19°45´07.35”N 103°33´25.34”E Alt. 1298 m), genitalia slide no. INU-6759L, 7045L, 7048L ; 1 ♂, Phosabous National Protected Area, Ban Tha , Xieng Khouang Prov., 8 VIII 2016 (Bae Y.S., Park B.S., Na S.M., Lee D.J., Ko J.H.), (19°43´32.10”N 103°36´22.80”E Alt. 1449 m), genitalia slide no. INU-7059L ; 1 ♀, Phosabous National Protected Area, Ban Tha , Xieng Khouang Prov., 1 VII 2017 (Bae Y.S., Na S.M., Lee D.J., Ko J.H., Lee T.G.), (19°44´50.20”N 103°37´28.10”E Alt. 1524 m), genitalia slide no. INU-7064L .

Diagnosis. Based on the wing pattern, Nephelobotys denticulatus sp. nov. is similar to N. forcipatus sp. nov., but the male and female genitalia of both species are distinct: in the male genitalia, the ventral process of the fibula is nearly an isosceles triangular and the dorsal process is elongated ( Fig 9 ); in the female genitalia, the ostium is weakly sclerotized; short axis of rhomboidal signum in corpus bursae is longer than in N. forcipatus sp. nov. ( Fig 12 ).

Description. Adult ( Figs 1 , 3 , 5 ). Length of forewing 8–10 mm in both sexes. Vertex covered with yellowish orange scales; frons covered with yellowish orange scales and white scaled on both sides; antenna filiform, yellowish orange, mixed with white scales at base; ocellus well-developed; chaetosemata absent; labial palpus porrect, yellowish orange at apex and white scales at base; proboscis well-developed, yellowish orange, mixed with white scales at base. Patagium and tegula yellowish orange. Ground color of forewing yellowish orange, with brown costal margin; discal spot of forewing brown; indistinct postmedial fascia brown, irregular zigzag from 2/3 dorsum to 2/3 of costal margin, curved at 1/3 of CuA 1 and 2/3 of CuA 2; subterminal band brown; terminal area with black dots at end of veins; fringe yellowish orange, except brown at apex and dorsum. Ground color of hindwing yellowish orange, whitish from costal margin to M 1; brown postmedial line weakly waved from M 1 to CuA 2; marginal shade brown from costal marginal to CuA 2; terminal area with black dots at end of veins, except from CuP to A 3; fringe yellowish orange, except brown from CuA 1 to CuA 2. Abdomen with yellow scales, slender in male and stout in female. Male genitalia ( Fig 9 ). Uncus finger-shaped, with dense setose at apex; valva subspatulate, setose overall, except in median area; costa weakly inflated; fibula with ventral and dorsal processes, ventral process nearly isosceles triangular, with setose, weakly dentate at exterior edge, dorsal process downwardly elongated, weakly dentate at interior edge and short branched at entering of process; juxta pincer-shaped; saccus U-shaped; phallus cylindrical, almost same length of valva, with deciduous palmate cornuti. Female genitalia ( Fig 12 ). Papillae anales ovate; posterior apophyses about half length of anterior apophyses; ostium weakly sclerotized; antrum funnel-shaped, sclerotized; ductus seminalis connected near posterior end of antrum; ductus bursae membranous, about 3.5 times length of corpus bursae; corpus bursae ovoid, weakly wrinkled, with large rhomboidal signum, long axis of the signum about 1.3 times length of short axis; appendix bursae rounded.

Distribution. Laos.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin denticulatus , referring to the toothlike projections of the ventral and dorsal processes of the fibula in male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Adults of Nephelobotys denticulatus sp. nov. and Nephelobotys forcipatus sp. nov. from Laos. 1a. Nephelobotys denticulatus sp. nov., male (HT, INU-7043L). 1b. ditto, female (PT, INU-7048L). 2a. Nephelobotys forcipatus sp. nov., male (HT, INU-7069L). 2b. ditto, female (PT, INU-7058L).

FIGURES 3–4. Lateral view of head of new species. 3. Nephelobotys denticulatus sp. nov. 4. Nephelobotys forcipatus sp. nov.

FIGURES 5–8. Adults of new and compared species from Laos and Korea (a-upper view; b-ventral view). 5a,b. Nephelobotys denticulatus sp. nov. (paratype, Laos). 6a,b. Nephelobotys forcipatus sp. nov. (paratype, Laos). 7a,b. Nephelobotys evenoralis comb. nov. (Korea). 8a,b. Torulisquama obliquilinealis (Korea).

FIGURES 9–11. Male genitalia of Nephelobotys species. 9. Nephelobotys denticulatus sp. nov., Holotype (Laos, INU-7043L). 10. Nephelobotys forcipatus sp. nov., Holotype (Laos, INU-7069L). 11. Nephelobotys evenoralis comb. nov. (Korea, INU– 7804K).

FIGURES 12–13. Female genitalia of Nephelobotys species. 12. Nephelobotys denticulatus sp. nov., Paratype (Laos, INU- 7048L). 13. Nephelobotys forcipatus sp. nov., Paratype (Laos, INU-6758L).