Nemophora phryganeella 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 : 11-12

Nemophora phryganeella Kozlov , sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 70 , 109 , 141 )

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:79FC2413-DB1D-484E-B384-6FC923791739

Holotype ♁: India, Andaman Is., Port Blair (11 o 40' N, 92 o 44' E); labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo- │ type’; 5 × 10 mm, black ink ‘Port Blair │ Andamans │ S 1200 3.25’; 12 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois │ sp.? │ 1/1 │ E. Meyrick det. │ in Meyrick coll.’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. │ B. M. 1933–290’; 3 × 6 mm, black ink ‘sp.?’; 9 × 16 mm, print ‘B. M. │ Genitalia slide │ No. 29996’; 6 × 18 mm, print ‘HOLOTYPE ♁ │ Nemophora │ phryganeella Kozlov’ ( NHM).

Diagnosis. Nemophora phryganeella externally resembles N. sporodesma ( Figs. 1, 2 ), from which it differs by the short vinculum (1.65 × length of valva), short anellus (0.35 × length of valva) and straight (not hook-shaped) tip of phallus.

Description. Male ( Fig. 3 ). FWL 5.3 mm, WLR 0.35. Vertex and frons glossy golden; piliform scales on occipital head margin from brown medially to white laterally. PLB 0.7 × vertical eye diameter (0.9 × length of scape), light brown. Proboscis light brown. Eyes slightly enlarged; interocular index 0.8. Antenna 4.0 × FWL. Scape and base of flagellum dark bronze; distal part of flagellum light bronze; basal 22‒26 flagellomeres dorsally with small white spots. Tegulae and thorax glossy golden, with indigo-blue iridescence. Forewing base (0.1‒0.2 × FWL) light glossy golden, then colour gradually changes to light brown with bronze lustre. Forewing pattern ( Fig. 70 ) consists of three small white spots: one transverse spot in the middle of wing at 0.55‒0.60 × FWL and two oblique spots near costa between 0.65 and 0.95 × FWL, which form an incomplete U-shaped figure. All white spots bordered by sparse dark brown scales, and some more dark brown scales scattered over forewing, mainly in its costal part. Fringe light bronze. Hindwing coppery bronze; costal area grey; fringe light brown. Legs from light bronze to light yellowish brown; bases of all tarsomeres pale yellow. Epiphysis at 0.6, reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen dark coppery brown; distal margins of sternites glossy silver to glossy golden.

Female unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 109 , 141 ). Tegumen onion-shaped, with distinct medial ridge. Socii oval, 2 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 1.65 × length of valva, V-shaped, with straight lateral margins and gently W-shaped distal margin. Tips of valvae extend beyond tip of tegumen. Ventral margin of valva with distinct lobe reaching 0.75 × length of valva; dorsal margin slightly concave; tip of valva narrowly rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.45 × total length; their internal margins indistinct. Anellus 0.35 × length of valva. Transtilla with short medial process. Juxta 0.5 × length of phallus, arrow head wide (WLR 0.75), with pointed tip and long pointed lateral arms. Phallus equal to length of vinculum, shallowly C-shaped in lateral view; tip straight, with a short pointed lateral process; base narrowly funnel-shaped.

Distribution. India (Andaman Is.).

Etymology. The specific epithet reflects a resemblance of this moth to a tiny caddis-fly.

Comments. A detached hind leg is kept in a gelatine capsule pinned under the holotype.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Adults of Nemophora spp. 1, N. sporodesma (Meyrick, 1928), male, lectotype, from Allandei (unidentified locality in Dakshina Kannada), Karnataka, India; 2, ditto, female, from Dibidi (unidentified locality in Kodagu), Karnataka, India; 3, N. phryganeella Kozlov, sp. nov., male, holotype, from Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India; 4, N. seraphias (Meyrick, 1907), male, from Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India; 5, ditto, female, from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India; 6, N.engraptes (Meyrick, 1907), male, lectotype, from Kandy, Sri Lanka; 7, ditto, male (aberrant), lectotype of Nemotois pollinaris Meyrick, 1907, from Maskeliya, Sri Lanka; 8, Nemophora engraptes (Meyrick, 1907), female, from Kandy, Sri Lanka. 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 140–143. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp.140, N.sporodesma (Meyrick, 1928), lectotype, from Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India, gen. prep. 29451 (NHM); 141, N. phryganeella Kozlov, sp. nov., holotype, from Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, gen. prep. 29996 (NHM); 142, N. seraphias (Meyrick, 1907), from Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India, gen. prep. 31288 (NHM); 143, N. engraptes (Meyrick, 1907), paralectotype, from Kandy, Sri Lanka, gen. prep. 30636 (NHM); a: genital complex, ventral view; b: phallus; c: apex of phallus. Scale: 0.2 mm (valid for a and b only).