Nemophora opalina (Meyrick, 1912)

Kozlov, Mikhail V., 2016, Taxonomic revision of Australian long-horn moths of the genus Nemophora (Lepidoptera: Adelidae), Zootaxa 4097 (1), pp. 84-100 : 88

Nemophora opalina (Meyrick, 1912)

( Figs. 3, 4 , 15, 26–30, 53, 54)

Nemotois opalina: Meyrick 1912a: 6 . Lectotype ♂ (here designated): Australia, Queensland, Cairns (16o51'S, 145o43'E); labelled: 8 mm circle with violet margin, print ‘Lecto- | type’; 5 × 9 mm, black ink ‘Cairns | Queensland | FPD[odd]..4.[19]06’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | opalina | 1/3 Meyr. | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘Meyrick Coll. | B.M. 1938-290’; 9 × 19 mm, print + black ink ‘Specimen photographed | E. S. Nielsen | ANIC 1984’; 8 × 23 mm, print ‘ LECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois opalina | Meyrick, 1912 | M. Kozlov design. 2002’ (NHM) [examined]. Paralectotype ♂, labelled: 8 mm circle with blue margin, print ‘Para- | lecto- | type’; 5 × 9 mm, black ink ‘Cairns | Queensland | FPD[odd]..4.[19]06’; 13 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois | opalina | 2/3 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. 27831’; 8 × 23 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois opalina | Meyrick, 1912 | M. Kozlov design. 2002’ (NHM) [examined]. Meyrick 1912b: 8; Turner 1913: 227.

Nemophora opalina: Nielsen 1996: 31 .

Other material. Australia, Queensland. 1 ♂, Montvilla, 5.x.1912 (Turner); 1 ♀, Kuranda, v.1904 (Dodd) (both in NHM).

Diagnosis. N. opalina is externally similar to N. doddi , from which differs by smaller size (FWL 4.6–4.8 mm), bronze forewing, yellow spot at the base of the forewing that does not reach dorsal wing margin, and presence of small dark brown spot near the apex of forewing. In male genitalia is similar to N. brachypetala , from which differs by narrow, nearly triangular tegumen, valvae fused to vinculum, and by the shape of valva, which has concave ventral margin and narrow base, not extending laterally beyond the margins of vinculum.

Description. Male ( Figs. 3 , 15). FWL 4.6–4.8 mm, WLR 0.33–0.35. Vertex with mixture of light yellow and dark brown piliform scales; frons glossy golden. PLB 0.4–0.5 × vertical eye diameter and 1.5–1.7 × scapus, light ochreous brown. Proboscis light brown, base with ochreous brown scales. Eyes enlarged; interocular index 1.35– 1.40; occipital index 0.05. Length of antenna 2.6–2.8 × FWL. Scape and flagellum bronze to dark bronze; basal 15–25 flagellomers with rings of light brown scales (in some specimens these rings are almost indistinct). Tegulae and thorax dark bronze. Forewing coppery bronze; basal field dark brown, without distinct external border. Glossy golden spot along costa large, closely approaching internal margin of fascia; pale yellow spot at the base of CuA stem relatively narrow, leaving wide dark brown zone between yellow colour and dorsal wing margin. Fascia is formed by a mixture (approximately 1: 1) of dark brown and yellow scales, which are usually arranged in narrow alternating lines (one scale in width); internal margin of fascia nearly straight, reaching costa at 0.38 × FWL, i.e. very close to the apex of glossy golden spot. External margin of fascia formed almost exclusively by dark brown scales, with distinct dark brown spot near costa; shape of fascia is variable, and width of fascia at costa varies from 1.3–2.5 × width at dorsum. Tornal spot narrow but long, with tip almost reaching dark brown spot at costa; wing apex with small diffuse dark brown spot (almost indistinct in some specimens). Fringe bronze. Hindwing base semitransparent, apical half of hindwing brown with slight coppery tint; costal area grey; fringe light brown to grey. Legs bronze to brown, apices of all tibiae and tarsomeres distally darker, sometimes with coppery tint. Epiphysis at 0.45–0.65, not reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen brown with bronze lustre; basal sternites glossy golden.

Female ( Fig. 4 ). FWL 4.2 mm. Antenna 1.5 × FWL, base not thickened. Vertex pale yellow. Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 26–30 , 53, 54 ). Tegumen narrowly dome-shaped, without medial ridge. Socius oval, 1.0 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.2 × length of valva, with almost straight lateral margins and straight distal margin. Apex of tegumen extends beyond apex of valva. Ventral margin of valva slightly concave, dorsal margin concave; apex of valva rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.35 × total length, and fused medially to vinculum; sutures indistinct. Anellus 0.4 × length of valva. Transtilla with short triangular medial process. Juxta 0.5 × length of phallus; arrow head narrow (WLR 0.55), with pointed tip and short pointed lateral arms. Phallus 1.05 × length of vinculum, almost straight; apical part forms prominent, laterally flattened lobe; base of phallus narrow.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Adults of Nemophora spp. from Australia. 1, N. brachypetala (Meyrick), male, holotype, from Darwin; 2, ditto, female, from Darwin; 3, N. opalina (Meyrick), male, lectotype, from Cairnis; 4, ditto, female, from Kuranda; 5, N. panaeola (Turner), male, holotype, from Killarney; 6, ditto, female, from Kuranda; 7, N, turneri sp. nov., male, holotype, from Kuranda; 8, ditto, female, paratype, from Kuranda. Scale: 2 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 50. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. from Australia. 21 – 25, N. brachypetala (Meyrick); 26 – 30, N. opalina (Meyrick); 31 – 35, N. panaeola (Turner); 36 – 40, N, turneri sp. nov.; 41 – 45, N. laurella (Newman); 46 – 50, N. doddi sp. nov. 21, 26, 31, 36, 41, 46: genital complex, ventral view (right valva not shown); 22, 27, 32, 37, 42, 47: genital complex, lateral view; 23, 27, 33, 37, 43, 47: juxta; 24, 28, 34, 38, 44, 48: phallus, ventral view; 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50: phallus, lateral view. Scale: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 51 – 57. Male genitalia of Nemophora spp. from Australia. 51 – 52, N. brachypetala (Meyrick), holotype, gen. prep. 29430 (NHM); 53 – 54, N. opalina (Meyrick), paralectotype, gen. prep. 27831 (NHM); 55, N. laurella (Newman), gen. prep. 27832 (NHM) [paralectotype of N. selasphora (Turner)]; 56, ditto, gen. prep. 27833 (NHM) [lectotype of N. sparsella (Walker)]; 57, N. doddi sp. nov., gen. prep. 31271 (NHM). 51, 53, 55 – 57: genital complex, ventral view; 52, 54: phallus, lateral view. Scale: 0.5 mm.