Nemophora turneri Kozlov

Kozlov, Mikhail V., 2016, Taxonomic revision of Australian long-horn moths of the genus Nemophora (Lepidoptera: Adelidae), Zootaxa 4097 (1), pp. 84-100 : 90

Nemophora turneri Kozlov , sp. nov.

( Figs. 7, 8 , 17, 36–40)

Nemotois panaeola: Turner 1913: 226 (partim.; err. det.).

Holotype ♂: Australia, Queensland, Kuranda (16o46'S, 145o37'E); labelled: 8 mm circle with red margin, print ‘Holo- | type’; 7 × 16 mm, print + black ink ‘Kuranda | QUEENSLAND, N. | 7.i.1906. | Dodd’; 8 × 10 mm, print ‘Walsingham | Collection | 1910-427’; 6 × 18 mm, print ‘ HOLOTYPE ♂ | Nemophora | turneri Kozlov’ (NHM). Paratypes: 2 ♂ 1 ♀, labelled: 8 mm circle with yellow margin, print ‘Para- | type’; 7 × 16 mm, print + black ink ‘Kuranda | QUEENSLAND, N. | [date] | Dodd’ [2 ♂: date= 13.ix.1904 and 5.xii.1905; 1 ♀: 27.xi.1905]; 8 × 10 mm, print ‘Walsingham | Collection | 1910-427’; 6 × 18 mm, print ‘ PARATYPE ♂ [or ♀] | Nemophora | turneri Kozlov’ (all in NHM). 1 ♂, labelled: 5 × 9 mm, print + black ink ‘Kuranda | Qld. | Dec. [19]05 | F. P. Dodd’; 10 × 12 mm, red paper, print + black ink ‘ SYNTYPE | Nemotois | panaeola | Turner’; 8 × 19 mm, print ‘ PARALECTOTYPE ♂ | Nemotois panaeola | Turner, 1913 | M. Kozlov design. 2002’; 6 × 20 mm, print ‘Differs from lectotype | of N. panaeola : another | species. M. Kozlov, 2002’; 6 × 12 mm, print ‘ PARATYPE ♂ | Nemophora | turneri Kozlov’ ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. N. turneri is closest to N. panaeola , from which differs by ochreous brown head, shorter labial palpi (0.35–0.45 × vertical eye diameter) and glossy bronze dorsum in males, as well as by oblique (not perpendicular to dorsum) external margin of basal field and yellow colour usually not reaching dorsal wing margin (yellow spot is surrounded by dark brown scales). In male genitalia N. turneri differs from N. panaeola by rectangular shape of the basal half of valva (in lateral view) and hood-shaped tegumen.

Etymology. Named after Alfred Jefferis Turner (1861–1947), who was quite as distinguished as a paediatrician as he was as an entomologist – in appreciation of his great contribution to the development of lepidopterology in Australia: he described about 3,500 species, more than 450 genera and four families of Lepidoptera .

Description. Male ( Figs. 7 , 17). FWL 4.4–5.3 mm, WLR 0.35–0.37. Vertex yellowish brown to ochreous brown; frons glossy golden. PLB 0.35–0.45 × vertical eye diameter and 1.4–1.7 × scapus, yellowish brown to light ochreous brown. Proboscis light brown, base with tuft of elongated brown to bronze scales. Eyes enlarged; interocular index 1.2–1.3; occipital index 0.05–0.10. Length of antenna 3.0–3.2 × FWL. Scape and base of flagellum dark bronze, distal part of flagellum bronze; pegs present. Tegulae dark bronze to coppery bronze, dorsum glossy bronze. Forewing coppery bronze; basal field dark brown, its external margin reaches costa at 0.32 × FWL and dorsum at 0.18 × FWL. Glossy golden spot along costa relatively short (0.18–0.22 × FWL), externally bordered by pale yellow spot; yellow spot at the base of forewing variable in size, usually separated from dorsal wing margin by narrow dark brown line, but occasionally yellow colour can reach dorsal wing margin. Fascia is formed by a mixture (approximately 1: 1) of dark brown and yellow scales, which in the middle of fascia are arranged in narrow alternating lines (one scale in width); internal margin of fascia sinuate, reaches costa at 0.45 × FWL, i.e. far from basal field. External margin of fascia is formed almost exclusively by dark brown scales, with distinct dark brown spots near costa and dorsum. Tornal spot variable in size, from almost indistinct to a half of forewing width. Fringe bronze. Hindwing base semitransparent, apical half of hindwing brown with 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, usually not reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen brown with bronze lustre; basal sternites glossy golden.

Female ( Fig. 8 ). FWL 5.4 mm. Antenna 1.3 × FWL, base not thickened. Vertex ochreous yellow. Hindwing darker than in male. Abdomen laterally ochreous yellow. Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 36–40 ). Tegumen hood-shaped, wide. Socius oval, 0.8 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.8 × length of valva, with slightly concave lateral margins and W-shaped distal margin. Apex of valva extends far beyond the apex of tegumen. Ventral margin of valva convex, with prominent medial lobe at 0.5 × length of valva; dorsal margin slightly concave; apex of valva pointed. Valvae fused basally up to 0.1 × total length; internal margins of valvae indistinct. Anellus 0.35 × length of valva. Transtilla with narrow pointed medial process. Juxta 0.5 × length of phallus; arrow head narrow (WLR 0.55), with pointed tip and pointed lateral arms. Phallus 0.95 × length of vinculum, almost straight; apical part hook-shaped; base of phallus narrowly funnel-shaped.

Comments. One of paratypes of N. turneri is a paralectotype of N. panaeola .

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.