Nemophora duplicifascia Liao, Hirowatari & Huang, 2023

Liao, Cheng-Qing, Hirowatari, Toshiya, Yagi, Sadahisa, Wang, Min, Wang, Xing & Huang, Guo-Hua, 2023, The fauna of the family Adelidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Adeloidea) from China, Zootaxa 5348 (1), pp. 1-152 : 32-34

(31) Nemophora duplicifascia Liao, Hirowatari & Huang , sp. nov.

(Plates III-4, XIV-4)

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:00CABB4A-738D-4C29-BDEB-619F07719FE5

Diagnosis. This species is very similar to N. basalistriata sp. nov. and N. digitata sp. nov. because of its forewing pattern, but the yellow basal stria of this species presents a straight line, while it is nearly triangular in the other two species. In addition, this species also can be distinguished by the obviously narrow forewing (forewing length about 3.2 × width), by the forewing central fascia obviously wider in the posterior margin, and by the leg black except the distal part of each tarsi yellow. In the male genitalia, it also can be distinguished by the relatively short valva with acute apex, by the short median process of transtilla, and by the small suspensorium with anterior part near posterior margin of vinculum in ventral view.

Description. Male. Forewing about 6.0 mm; wing expanse about 13.0 mm.

Vertex covered with brownish hairs; face with dark brown scales and hairs. Eyes moderate in size, eye size index about 1.5. Labial palpus short, covered with yellow scales and brown hairs; galeae with yellow scales laterally. Antenna slender, about 22.0 mm, 3.7 × forewing length; basal 1/6 black dorsally and white ventrally; remaining apical flagellum white gray. Legs dark brown to black, with bronze metallic luster; base of each tarsus yellow. Thoracic dorsum and tegula black with bronze metallic luster. Forewing lanceolate, relatively narrow, length about 3.2 × width; ground color dark brown to black, with blight bronze metallic luster; basal 1/6 with a narrow straight yellow fascia, margined anteriorly and externally with black; middle part with a yellow transverse central fascia bordered on both sides by black bands, posterior margin slightly wider than anterior margin; disc of apical 1/4 scattered with numerous yellow scales; cilia dark brown to brownish red with bronze metallic luster. Hindwing and cilia dark brown to black, costal area slightly light color. Abdomen dark brown to black, with yellow to brownish rings on each segment.

Female. Forewing about 5.8 mm, wing expanse about 12.6 mm. Eyes small, eye size index ca. 0.6. Antenna short, about 7.5 mm, ca. 1.3 × forewing length; basal half stout with thickened black scales, apical part slender and smooth, black and white. Others similar to male.

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular, with distinct median keel. Vinculum slender, about 2.1 × as long as valva; lateral margins almost straight. Valva triangular, with acute apex; basal part with distinctly outward process laterally; sacculus distinctly expanding and forming a small digitate process medially; suspensorium small, anterior part near posterior margin of vinculum in ventral view. Transtilla wide laterall and slightly narrow medially; median process short and pointed. Aedeagus long and slender; basal 1/4 distinctly curved dorsally; apical portion with a large rounded lamellate; vesical with two rows of spines. Juxta arrow-shaped; arrow-head pointed, lateral arms long and pointed.

Holotype. [Sichuan] ♁, Longcanggou (1,400–1,500 m), Yingjing County, Ya’an City, 2016.VI.23, G.H. Huang leg. ( HUNAU).

Paratypes. [Sichuan] 1♀, Longcanggou (1,400–1,500 m), Yingjing County, Ya’an City, 2016.VI.18–19, G.H. Huang leg. ( ELKU); [Hunan] 1♀, Mt. Tianpingshan, Badagongshan National Nature Reserve , Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City, 2020.VI.19–23, C.Q. Liao leg. ( HUNAU) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word duplici (double) and fascia, referring to the forewing of this species with two transverse fasciae.

Distribution. China (Sichuan, Hunan).

Remarks. This new species is endemic to China and occurs in June.

DNA barcodes of three N. duplicifascia sp. nov. specimens are generated, and their intraspecific genetic distances ranges from 0.003 to 0.009. The closest sequence is N. trimetrella with a 0.046 pairwise distance.

3.7 Nemophora sakaii species group

Diagnosis. This species group can be distinguished by the following characters: the forewing is distinctly broad, length about 2.6–2.7 times of width; the transverse central fascia is usually placed at 1/3 of the forewing, light yellow to orange-yellow, both sides with narrow black margins; the half of forewing is not far away central fascia with an inconspicuous black transverse band; the suspensorium is nearly quadrate anteriorly and expanding posteriorly, anterior part is far beyond posterior margin of vinculum in ventral view; and the aedeagus is distinctly curved dorsally with asymmetrical or serrated apical lobes.

Remarks. This species group includes three species, namely N. sakaii ( Matsumura, 1931) , N. hunanensis sp. nov. and N. purpurata sp. nov., of which the latter two are new species. This species group is similar to the aurifera and diplophragma groups, but it can be easily distinguished by the obviously broad forewing and an inconspicuous black transverse band on the transverse central fasciae of the forewing. In addition, N. sakaii is also similar to the decisella group in the forewing pattern, but it can be characterized by the central fascia of the forewing with narrow black margins on each side, and by the similar forewing pattern in male and female.

Key to species of the sakaii group based on external morphology and male genitalia

1 Male eyes moderate in size, eye size index about 1.2; forewing transverse central fascia obviously narrow............... 2

- Male eyes very large, eye size index more than 6; forewing transverse central fascia obviously broad............. N. sakaii

2 Forewing transverse central fascia wider at middle than margins; valva with relatively pointed apex; suspensorium not beyond posterior margin of vinculum or at the same level............................................ N. purpurata sp. nov.

- Forewing transverse central fascia broadest on costal margin and gradually narrow to posterior margin; valva with truncated apex; suspensorium far beyond posterior margin of vinculum................................. N. hunanensis sp. nov.