Nemotois athlophora: Meyrick 1912b: 8 , 1930: 625

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 : 50

Nemotois athlophora: Meyrick 1912b: 8, 1930: 625 ; Clarke 1955: 58.

Nemotois xanthophracta: Meyrick 1930: 624‒625 , syn. nov.

Holotype ♁: India, Maharashtra, Mahabaleshwar (17º 56' N, 73º 42' E); labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo-│type’; 5 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Mahabaleshwar │ Bombay │ RM[axwell]. 31.10.[19]28’; 13 × 16 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois │ xanthophracta │ 1/1 Meyr. │ E. Meyrick det. │ in Meyrick Coll.’; 6 × 14 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. │ B. M. 1938–290.’; 3 × 26 mm, black ink ‘ xanthophracta Meyr. ’ (NHM) [examined].

Nemotois xanthophracta: Clarke 1955: 327 .

Other material. India. 1 ♁ 1 ♀. Tamil Nadu. 1 ♁, Palani Hills , 1700 m, 189[?] (Campbell); 1 ♁ 1 ♀, Kodaikanal , 2300 m, 15–24.viii.1921 (Fletcher); 2 ♁ 3 ♀, ibid., 25.viii–11.ix.1929 (all in NHM) ; 1 ♀, ibid., 10.ix.1921 (Fletcher) ( USNM) . Maharashtra. 1 ♁, Mahabaleshwar , Bombay 31.x.1928 (Maxwell) ( NHM) .

Diagnosis. Nemophora athlophora is closest to N. costimaculella ( Figs. 67, 68 ), from which it differs by the five glossy bronze spots in the basal half of the forewing, clearly contrasting with the yellow background (in some specimens, these spots merge with the costal spots forming transverse bands: Fig. 64 ), and by the absence of carinae on phallus. From N. chrysidias ( Fig. 63 ) N. athlophora differs by the V-shaped vinculum, the absence of deep indentation on the ventral valvar margin and the absence of anchor-shaped structure at the tip of phallus.

Description. Male ( Figs. 64, 65 ). FWL 6.0– 6.4 mm, WLR 0.38–0.40. Vertex ochreous yellow; frons glossy bronze, with sparse row of yellow scales below antennal sockets. PLB 0.5–0.7 × vertical eye diameter (0.8–1.1 × length of scape), light brown. Proboscis light brown. Eyes slightly enlarged; interocular index 0.9–1.0; occipital distance 0.45–0.65. Antenna 2.7–3.4 × FWL; pegs present. Scape and base of flagellum dark brown, then colour of flagellum gradually changes to brown; basal 8–10 flagellomeres dorsally slightly thickened by appressed dark brown scales. Tegulae coppery bronze; thorax glossy bronze. Basal half of forewing ( Fig. 107 ) bright yellow, usually with five shining grey spots: one at the base of R stem, two linked with costa, and two on CuP vein; in some specimens, anterior and posterior spots merge, thus forming two transverse bands ( Fig. 64 ); anterior spots bordered by dark brown scales; base of costa dark brown; base of dorsal margin with a few brown scales. Apical half of forewing coppery bronze, with a line of dark brown scales along the border separating yellow and coppery parts of forewing, diffuse spot extending towards termen from the middle of this line, and dark brown spot reaching costa at 0.55 × FWL and expanding to about 0.3–0.4 × forewing width. Fringe bronze to dark brown. Hindwing brown to dark brown; costal area pale yellow; fringe brown to light brown. Legs brown to coppery bronze; apices of all segments darker than their bases. Epiphysis at 0.5, reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen bronze to brown.

Female ( Fig. 66 ). FWL 5.5–6.1 mm. Antenna 1.3–1.7 × FWL, basal 0.4 of flagellum covered with coppery brown scales, which are appressed at the base of flagellum and raised at the level of dark costal spot, forming characteristic brush; distal part of flagellum greyish-brown. Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 138 , 168 ). Tegumen widely dome-shaped, with small medial ridge. Socii almost circular, 1.0 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.0–2.2 × length of valva, V-shaped, with almost straight margins. Tip of tegumen extends beyond tips of valvae. Ventral valvar margin gently S-shaped; dorsal valvar margin slightly concave; tip of valva widely rounded. Valvae not fused to each other. Anellus 0.3 × length of valva. Transtilla with long medial process. Juxta 0.55 × length of phallus; arrow head wide (WLR 0.5), with widely rounded tip and short pointed lateral arms. Phallus 1.0–1.2 × length of vinculum, almost straight, apical part with V-shaped ventral and pointed dorsal lobe; base of phallus funnel-shaped.

Distribution. India (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra).

Comments. Two specimens (1 ♁ 1 ♀) bearing label ‘Indes’ were designated by Walsingham as types of ‘ Nemotois divisellus ’, but the description of this species has never been published. Nemophora athlophora seems to be common, at least in Maharashtra, as evidenced by multiple photographs made in different localities (availavle at www.inaturalist. org).

Figures

FIGURES 63–68. Adults of Nemophora spp. 63, N. chrysidias (Meyrick, 1928), male, holotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 64, N. athlophora (Meyrick, 1912), male, holotype of Nemotois xanthophracta Meyrick, 1930, from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India; 65, Nemophora athlophora (Meyrick, 1912), male, from Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India; 66, ditto, female, from Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India; 67, N. costimaculella Kozlov, sp. nov., male, holotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 68, ditto, female, paratype, from Chiang Dao, Thailand. 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 134–139. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 134, N. angustialata Kozlov, sp. nov.; 135, N. pyrites (Meyrick, 1907); 136, N. smaragdaspis (Meyrick, 1924); 137, N. chrysidias (Meyrick, 1928); 138, N. athlophora (Meyrick, 1912); 139, N. costimaculella 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 167–169. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. 167, N. chrysidias (Meyrick, 1928), holotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India, gen. prep. 31283 (NHM); 168, N. athlophora (Meyrick, 1912), from Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, India, gen. prep. 27817 (NHM); 169, N. costimaculella Kozlov, sp. nov., holotype, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India, gen. prep. 29462 (NHM); a: genital complex, ventral view; b: phallus; c: apex of phallus. Scale: 0.2 mm (valid for a and b only).