Nemophora manipurella 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 : 17-18

Nemophora manipurella Kozlov , sp. nov.

( Figs. 13 , 75 , 114 , 145 )

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:91088E80-B660-448A-A493-03D66007D664

Holotype ♁: India, Manipur, Mao (25º 30′ N, 94º 08′ E); labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo- │ type’; 9 × 16 mm, print + black ink ‘Mao, N. Manipur │ Aug. 5000–7000 ft. │ ASSAM │ Doherty, 1889. │ No. 41741’; 8 × 10 mm, print ‘Walsingham │ Collection │ 1910–427’; 9 × 16 mm, print ‘B. M. │ Genitalia slide │ No. 29991’; 6 × 18 mm, print ‘HOLOTYPE ♁ │ Nemophora │ manipurella Kozlov’ ( NHM).

Diagnosis. Nemophora manipurella is nearest to N. mediseorsa Sun et Li, 2023 , from which it differs by the dark bronze (darker than basal part) apical part of the forewing, the absence of the distinct dark brown spots along the costal margin in the basal part of the forewing, long (reaching wing apex) dark brown lines in the apical part of the forewing, absence of the medial ridge on the tegumen and short (0.3 × length of valva) fused part of valvae. Nemophora manipurella also resembles N. stellata Hirowatari, 1995 , from which it differs by the absence of glossy silver stripes in the basal part of the forewing and by the shape of valva, in particular by the presence of the distinct ventral lobe on it.

Description. Male ( Fig. 13 ). FWL 5.2 mm, WLR 0.25. Vertex brownish yellow; frons covered with semitranslucent scales, colour of which varies from light brown to shining light golden, depending on illumination. PLB 0.7 × vertical eye diameter (0.75 × length of scape), coppery brown. Proboscis brown, base with coppery brown scales. Eyes not enlarged; interocular index 0.6. Antenna>3.5 × FWL (tip broken). Scape light glossy golden, base of flagellum bronze, distal part of flagellum light bronze to grey. Tegulae and thorax bronze, with slight coppery tint. Forewing ( Fig. 75 ) glossy bronze, light at base to dark at apex; internal margin of medial yellow band straight, reaches costa at 0.5 × FWL; external margin of yellow band incomplete, medially extends into oval yellow field with thin dark brown longitudinal lines; yellow colour extends to 0.80‒0.85 × FWL, while dark brown lines reach wing margins. Yellow band of fascia internally bordered by glossy silver band; external glossy band divided into two oblique triangular spots: glossy golden at costa and glossy silver at dorsum. Forewing base (until 0.4 × FWL) with scattered dark brown scales forming several thin latitudinal lines; area between forewing base and silver-grey band is ochreous-yellow proximally and ochreous-brown distally. Fringe light bronze to brownish grey. Hindwing basally light brown, apically bronze; costal area yellowish grey; fringe light brown to grey. Legs from bronze to light yellowish brown. Epiphysis at 0.6, reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen dark brown with bronze lustre.

Female unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 113 , 145 ). Tegumen dome-shaped, without medial ridge. Socii oval, 1.3‒1.5 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.7 × length of valva, with slightly concave lateral margins; distal margin nearly straight. Tips of valvae extend far beyond tip of tegumen. Ventral margin of valva with distinct lobe reaching 0.65 × length of valva; dorsal margin nearly straight; tip of valva narrowly rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.3 × total length; their internal margins indistinct. Anellus 0.3 × length of valva. Transtilla with short pointed medial process. Juxta 0.5 × length of phallus, arrow head narrow (WLR 0.35), with pointed tip and short pointed lateral arms. Phallus equal to length of vinculum, almost straight. Distal 0.4 of phallus consists of a sinuate lobe developed by its right wall; base of phallus narrowly funnel-shaped.

Distribution. India (Manipur).

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality (Manipur).

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 109–114. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 109, N. phryganeella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 110, N. seraphias (Meyrick, 1907); 111, N. engraptes (Meyrick, 1907); 112, N. ornamentella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 113, N. fluorites (Meyrick, 1907); 114, N. manipurella Kozlov, sp. nov.; 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).