Nemophora scitulella ( Walker, 1864 ) 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 : 34-36

Nemophora scitulella ( Walker, 1864) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 41, 42 , 93 , 125 , 155 )

Glyphypteryx [sic!] scitulella: Walker 1864: 839 .

Holotype ♀: Sri Lanka; labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo-│type’; 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Type’; 7 × 11 mm, black ink ‘ CEYLON │ Dr. Templeton │ 1852–62’; 6 mm circle, black ink ‘Ceylon’, reverse side: ‘52 │ 62’; 15 × 25 mm, wide black frame, black ink + print ‘ GLYPHIPTERYX │ SCITULELLA. Wkr. │ Cat. Lep. Het. BM. 30. 839. 1864 │TYPE ♀ 1/1 1852 –62’; 5 × 38 mm, print ‘4. Glyphypteryx scitulella .’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ HOLOTYPE ♀ │ Glyphypteryx scitu- │ lella Walker, 1864 │ M. Kozlov design. 1999’ (NHM) [examined].

Glyphypteryx scitulella: Cotes & Swinhoe 1889: 719 .

Glyphipteryx scitulella: Moore 1887b: 524 .

Nematois [sic!] scitulella: Walsingham & Durrant 1900: 583‒584 .

Nemotois scitulellus: Meyrick 1906: 417 [incorrect subsequent spelling].

Nemotois scitulella: Meyrick 1912a: 7, 1912b: 8 .

Nemotois corybantis: Meyrick 1905: 619 . Lectotype ♀ (here designated): Sri Lanka, Central Province, Peradeniya (7 o 16′ N, 80 o 37′ E); labelled: 8 mm circle with violet border, print ‘Lecto-│type’; 5 × 10 mm, print + black ink ‘Peradeniya, │ Ceylon. │ Green. 12.[19]01’; 9 × 18 mm, black ink ‘ LECTOTYPE │ Nemotois │ corybantis │ Meyrick │ det. K. R. Tuck, 1978’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois │ scitulella │ 6/17 Walk. │ E. Meyrick det. │ in Meyrick Coll.’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. │ B. M. 1938–290’ (NHM) [examined]. Synonymized to N. scitulella by Meyrick 1912a: 7; synonymy cited by Meyrick 1912b: 8.

Nemotois xanthargyra: Meyrick 1922: 536–537 , syn. nov. Lectotype ♁ (here designated): India, Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri Hills (11° 20′ N, 76° 30′ E); labelled: 8 mm circle with violet border, print ‘Lecto- │ type’; 4 × 11 mm, print + black ink ‘Nilgiri Hills. │ H. L. Andrewes. │ Pykara │ V.[19]11. 6500’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois │ xanthargyra │ 1/2 Meyr. │ E. Meyrick det. │ in Meyrick Coll.’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. │ B. M. 1938–290’; 8 × 13 mm, print ‘B. M. │ Genitalia slide │ No. 29443’; 10 × 18 mm, print ‘ LECTOTYPE ♁ │ Nemotois xanthargyra │ Meyrick 1922 │ M. Kozlov design. 1999’ (NHM) [examined]. Paralectotype ♀, labelled: 8 mm circle with blue border, print ‘Para- │ lecto-│ type’; 4 × 11 mm, print + black ink ‘Nilgiri Hills. │ H. L. Andrewes. │ Pykara │ V.[19]11. 6500’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois │ xanthargyra │ 2/2 Meyr.’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. │ B. M. 1938–290’; 3 × 22 mm, black ink ‘ xanthargyra Meyr. ’; 10 × 18 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♀ │ Nemotois xanthargyra │ Meyrick 1922 │ M. Kozlov design. 1999’ (NHM) [examined].

Nemotois xanthargyra: Clarke 1955: 326 .

Other material. India. Karnataka. 1 ♁, Coorg, Dibidi , 12.vi.1906 (Newcome) ; 3 ♀, ibid., 10.viii.1906 (Newcome) ; 1 ♁, ibid., 4.v.1908 (Newcome). Meghalaya. 1♁, Khasi Hills, 1906. Tamil Nadu. 1 ♀, Madras, Nilgiri Hills ; 2 ♁, ibid. ; 1 ♀, Ooty (all in NHM) ; 1 ♁, Gudalur ( Nathan ) ( USNM). Sri Lanka. 2 ♁, 1903 (Mackwood) ; 1 ♁, 1935 ( AJT). Southern Province. 4 ♁, Hambantota, 1893 ( Green ) ; 6 ♁ 5 ♀, ibid., sea level, ii.1893 (Pole) ; 1 ♀, ibid., i.1894 (Pole) ; 1 ♁, ibid. ( Pole ) ; 1 ♀, ibid., iii.1894 (Pole). Central Province. 2 ♁ 1 ♀, Nawalapitiya, 700 m, 1890 (Green) ; 1♁, ibid., v.1891 (Green) ; 1♁, ibid., v.1893 (Pole) ; 1 ♁ 1 ♀, ibid., 800 m, vi.1893 (Pole) ; 2 ♁ 1 ♀, ibid., 800 m, vii.1893 (Pole) ; 1 ♀, Puna , 19.viii.1928 (Maxwell) ; 1 ♁ 1 ♀, Kandy, 530 m (Green) (all in NHM) ; 14 ♁ 1 ♀, ibid., 10.xi.1966 ; 1 ♁, ibid., 5‒15.vii.1976 (Karunaratne) ; 1 ♁, ibid., Udawattakele 1‒3.x.1973 (Rombein) (all in USNM) ; 1 ♁ 4 ♀, Matale , x.1904 (Pole) ; 1 ♀, ibid., 130 m ( Mackwood ) ; 1 ♁ 2 ♀, Peradeniya, 1893 ; 1 ♁, ibid., iv.1904 (Green) (all in NHM) ; 1 ♁, ibid., Hantana Hill , 29.iii.1973, 2000 ft (Baumann & Gross) ; 1 ♁, 5 mi NW Mahiyangana, 30.iii.‒9.vi.1971 (Spangler) ( USNM). Uva Province. 1 ♀, Pattipola , v.1911. North Western Province. 1 ♁, Puttalam, 1904 (Pole) ; 1 ♁, ibid., x.1904 (Pole) ; 1 ♀, ibid., xi.1904 (Pole). Southern Province. 1 ♁, Yala , 9.ii.1909 (Fletcher) (all in NHM). North Central Province. 1 ♀, xi.1904 (Pole) ( NHM) ; 1 ♁, ibid., xi.1904 (Pole) ( USNM). Western Province. 1 ♁, Udagama, 1893 ( Pole ) ( NHM) ; 1 ♁, Labugata Reservoir , 16.ii.1975 (Rombein) ( USNM). Northern Province. 1 ♁ 1 ♀, Parayanalankulam Irrigation Canal, 25 mi NW Medawachchiya , 20–25.iii.1970 (Davis & Rowe). Sabaragamuwa Province. 1 ♁, Eraporu Ganga, 2 mi NW Kolonne, 16.xi.1970, 1000 ft (Flint) ; 1 ♁, Uggalkalotta , 10‒14.x. 1970, 500 ft (Flint). Eastern Province. 9 ♁, Ekgal Aru Reservoir, 100 m, 19‒23.ii.1977 (Rombein) ; 6 ♁, Jungle Reservoir , 19‒22.ii.1977 (Rombein) (all in USNM).

Diagnosis. Nemophora scitulella resembles N. ceylonella ( Fig. 40 ), from which it differs by the larger size, glossy silver longitudinal spot along the RS stem in the yellow basal part of the forewing and sinuate (not hook-shaped) apical part of phallus.

Description. Male ( Fig. 41 ). FWL 5.5‒8.7 mm, WLR 0.31‒0.42. Vertex with sparse row of dark brown to black piliform scales along occipital margin and a tuft of dark brown (sometimes with admixture of ochreous brown) piliform scales above antennal sockets; frons dark bronze to glossy golden. PLB 0.4‒0.7 × vertical eye diameter (1.4‒1.6 × length of scape), brown, dorsally with appressed pale yellow to bronze scales, ventrally with short raised dark brown to coppery brown scales. Proboscis brown, base with bronze scales. Eyes enlarged, closely approaching each other; interocular index 1.0‒1.3; occipital distance 0.02‒0.15. Antenna 2.2‒2.6 × FWL. Scape and base of flagellum dark bronze, in some specimens with coppery tint; basal 10‒20 flagellomeres dorsally with semi-erect dark bronze to coppery brown scales; colour of flagellum at the level of forewing fascia sharply changes to yellow or yellowish brown. Tegulae and thorax dark bronze. Forewing base (0.3 × FWL) bright yellow, with long silver-grey stripe along RS stem and (in some specimens) with light bronze to dark brown lines along both costal and dorsal margins ( Fig. 93 ). Apical half of forewing dark bronze, in some specimens with coppery tint. Internal margin of yellow band of fascia at 0.37 × FWL; both sides of this band bordered by narrow dark brown lines and surrounded by silver-grey bands which are slightly narrower than yellow band. Dark brown band outside external silver band varies in width and in some specimens does not reach dorsum; its external margin reaches costa at 0.7‒0.8 × FWL. Some specimens possess a diffuse brown tornal spot. Fringe dark brown to bronze. Hindwing grey to brown basally and dark brown to bronze apically, in some specimens with coppery tint; costal area grey; fringe grey basally to bronze apically. Legs bronze to coppery bronze; fore and hind tibia densely covered with slightly raised coppery bronze scales; all tarsomeres ventrally yellow, except for brown apical part of the last tarsomer. Epiphysis at 0.4‒0.5, not reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen bronze to coppery bronze.

Female ( Fig. 42 ). FWL 5.0‒ 6.6 mm. Vertex and frons bright ochreous yellow. Antenna 1.10‒1.35 × FWL, basal 0.55‒0.65 densely covered with semi-erect scales forming a thick brush; colour of these scales changes gradually from ochreous basally to dark coppery brown apically; distal part of flagellum silver-grey basally to dark bronze apically. Tegulae and thorax yellow. Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 125 , 155 ). Tegumen dome-shaped, with prominent medial ridge; in some specimens also with two additional lateral ridges. Socii oval, 1.4‒1.6 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.3‒2.6 × length of valva, V-shaped, with straight to slightly concave lateral margins and nearly straight to gently W-shaped distal margin. Tip of tegumen at about same level as tips of valvae. Ventral valvar margin with gentle protrusion at 0.6‒0.7 × length of valva; dorsal valvar margin concave; tip of valva narrowly rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.1‒0.2 × total length; their internal margins indistinct. Anellus 0.20‒0.35 × length of valva. Transtilla with short medial process. Juxta 0.55 × length of phallus; arrow head moderately wide to wide (WLR 0.55‒0.75), with pointed tip and pointed lateral arms. Phallus 0.90‒1.05 × length of vinculum, from almost straight to C-haped; base narrowly to widely funnel-haped; tip flattened laterally, forming a sinuate lobe directed posteroventrally.

Distribution. India (Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu), Sri Lanka. Records from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala are based on photographs (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86877236, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/63377280 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98503742, respectively).

Comments. Nemophora corybantis has been described from six specimens (both males and females) collected in Peradeniya and Kandy in July , August and December by Green ( Meyrick 1905). Surprizingly , only one of these specimens has been discovered in Meyrick’s collection. This specimen was labelled as lectotype by K. R. Tuck in 1978, but this designation had not been published previously .

Nemophora scitulella seems to be common in both India and Sri Lanka, as evidenced by photographs available at www.inaturalist.org. In Sri Lanka, this species is either dimorphic in coloration of the basal part of forewing (yellow form: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43998870; ochreous-red form: https://www.inaturalist.org/ observations/42100367) or ochreous-red specimens represent another, yet undescribed, species.

Figures

FIGURES 41–48. Adults of Nemophora spp. 41, N. scitulella (Walker, 1864), male, from Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; 42, ditto, female, from Hambantota, Sri Lanka; 43, N. chrysocrossa (Meyrick, 1922), male, lectotype, from Shillong, Meghalaya, India; 44, ditto, female, from Shillong, Meghalaya, India; 45, N. amphimetalla (Meyrick, 1912), male, paralectotype, from Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, India; 46, N. ferruginea Kozlov, sp. nov., male, holotype, from Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India; 47, N. pyrotechna (Meyrick, 1912), male, lectotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 48, ditto, female, paralectotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India. Scale: 2 mm.

FIGURES 93–108. Forewing pattern of Nemophora spp. 93, N. scitulella (Walker, 1864); 94, N. chrysocrossa (Meyrick, 1922); 95, N. amphimetalla (Meyrick, 1912); 96, N. ferruginea Kozlov, sp. nov.; 97, N. pyrotechna (Meyrick, 1912); 98, N. kashmirella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 99, N. solstitiella (Walsingham in Walsingham & Durrant, 1900), typical form; 100, N. fuscomaculella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 101, N. nitidulella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 102, N. fletcherella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 103, N. angustialata Kozlov, sp. nov.; 104, N. pyrites (Meyrick, 1907); 105, N. smaragdaspis (Meyrick, 1924); 106, N. chrysidias (Meyrick, 1928); 107, N. athlophora (Meyrick, 1912), typical form; 108, N. costimaculella Kozlov, sp. nov. Scale: 2 mm.

FIGURES 122–127. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 122, N. chrysoprasias (Meyrick, 1907); 123, N. indica (Walker, 1863); 124, N. ceylonella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 125, N. scitulella (Walker, 1864); 126, N. chrysocrossa (Meyrick, 1922); 127, N. amphimetalla (Meyrick, 1912); 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 152–155. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 152, N. neurias (Meyrick, 1922), paralectotype, from Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, India, gen. prep. 29440 (NHM); 153, N. chrysoprasias (Meyrick, 1907), from Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India, gen. prep. 27822 (NHM); 154, N. indica (Walker, 1863), from Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India, gen. prep. 30649 (NHM); 155, N. scitulella (Walker, 1864), from Coorg, Karnataka, India, gen. prep. 31280 (NHM); a: genital complex, ventral view; b: phallus; c: apex of phallus. Scale: 0.2 mm (valid for a and b only).

FIGURES 33–40. Adults of Nemophora spp. 33, N. gemmella (Walsingham, 1880), male, lectotype, from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India; 34, ditto, female, from Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, India; 35, N. neurias (Meyrick, 1922), male, from Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India; 36, ditto, female, from Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India; 37, N. chrysoprasias (Meyrick, 1907), male, lectotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 38, ditto, female, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 39, N. indica (Walker, 1863), male, lectotype of Nemotois chrysogona Meyrick, 1922, from Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India; 40, Nemophora ceylonella Kozlov, sp. nov., male, holotype, from Mahiyangana, Sri Lanka. Scale 2 mm.