Nemophora pecuniosa
Creators: name: Kozlov, Mikhail V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Adelidae
Nemophora
Nemophora pecuniosa

description: Nemophora pecuniosa (Meyrick, 1921)   
(Figs. 59, 60, 87, 109, 123)  
 Nemotois pecuniosa: Meyrick 1921: 202. Holotype ♂: Malaysia, Sumatra, Sorikmarapi Mt. (0° 38' N, 99° 15' E); labelled: 3.5 × 8 mm, black ink ‘M416’; 12 × 24 mm, black ink ‘op den top van │ den Sorik Berapi │ tegen een trian- │ gulatie paal. │ 28 December 1890.’ [on top of Sorik Berapi near a triangulation post; Dutch]; 11 mm circle, black ink ‘Johan │ v. Hasselt │ Tapanoel │ Sumat’; 4 × 11 mm, violet border, black frame, black ink ‘Type.’; 11 × 13 mm, red paper, print + black ink ‘Museum Leiden │ HOLOTYPE ♂ │ Nemotois │ pecuniosa │ Meyrick, 1921 ’; 2 × 28 mm, black frame, black ink ‘pecuniosa │ Meyr.’ (RMNH) [examined].   
 Nemotois pecuniosa: Clarke 1955: 237.   
 Nemophora aurisparsella (misidentification): Diakonoff 1951: 153, 155 fig. 12 (drawing of male genitalia), 156–158.   
 Nemophora pecuniosa: Diakonoff 1951: 153, 158.   
 Other material. India. 1 ♂, 1894 (de Nicéville). Myanmar. 5 ♂, Kadan Kyun (formerly King Island), Mergui, ii.–iii.1934 (Archibald); 3 ♂, Tenasserim, Mergui, v.1895 (Lakatt & Pamboo); 4 ♂, ibid., 1888 (Doherty). Thailand. 2 ♂, Renong, 1891 (Doherty); 1 ♂, Trong, 1926 (WLA); 2 ♂ 1 ♀, Khao Yai National Park, Park HQ, 31.viii.– 8.ix.1986 (Robinson). Malaysia. 1 ♂, Pahang, Lubok Tamang, cleared hill 1350 m, 10.vi.1923 (Pendlebury); 1 ♂, Pahang, Cameroon Highlands, 1200–1500 m, 17.v.1932 (Pendlebury); 6 ♂, Perak (Doherty); 1 ♂, Perak, Barang Padang, v.1925 (Pendlebury); 1 ♂, Perak, Larut Hills, 1200 m, 9.ii.1932 (Pendlebury); 5 ♂, Perak, Padang Rengas, 1891 (Doherty); 1 ♂, Malay Peninsula, West Coast, Langkawi Island, 21.iv.1928 (Pendlebury) (all in NHM); 1 ♂, Pulau Penang (ZMUC). Singapore. 1 ♂, Bukit Kalang, 2.vii.1947 (Archibald) (NHM). Indonesia. 1 ♂, W. Jawa, 650 m, Bodjonglopang Djampangs, 1.i.1941 (Lieftinck) (RMNH); 1 ♂, Sumatra, Simalungun, “Holzweg 2”, near Parat, 18.ii.1995 (ZSM). Philippines. 1 ♂, Palawan Mantalingajan, Pinigisan, 600 m, 6.ix.1961 (Noona Dan Expedition) (ZMUC).   
 Diagnosis. Nemophora pecuniosa is most similar to N. aurisparsella (Walker, 1863), from which it differs reliably only by the male genitalia traits including slightly curved right apical process of phallus with anterolaterally directed tip (see from the ventrum), presence of large ventral hook-shaped apical process on phallus (see from the side), and valvae that do not extend beyond the tip of tegumen. Most of N. pecuniosa males, contrary to N. aurisparsella males, do not possess glossy golden appressed scales above the antennal sockets and demonstrate a larger extent of light yellow to translucent basal part in hindwing of males (0.34–0.45 × hindwing length). Females of N. pecuniosa differ from females of N. aurisparsella by the pale yellow basal third of hindwing and the absence of raised black scales in the basal part of antenna. Nemophora pecuniosa is externally similar to N. costimaculella (Fig. 62), from which it differs by the larger size and more enlarged male eyes (touching each other), as well as by the presence of laterally directed hook-shape processes at the apex of phallus.   
 Description. Male (Fig. 59). FWL 7.2–8.0 mm, WLR 0.40–0.45. Vertex glossy golden, marginally with dark brown raised piliform scales; frons glossy golden. PLB 0.5–0.6 × vertical eye diameter (1.15–1.25 × length of scape), ochreous. Proboscis light brown, base covered with ochreous scales. Eyes enlarged, nearly touching each other occipitally; interocular index 1.45–1.75; occipital distance 0.03–0.08. Antenna 3.0–3.5 × FWL. Scape and base of flagellum dark brown, apical part light brown; proximal 7–12 flagellomeres dorsally with slightly raised brown scales. Tegulae and thorax glossy golden to bronze. Basal half of forewing (Fig. 87) bright yellow, with small dark brown spot at the base and four glossy silver spots; three of these spots form transverse row at 0.35 × FWL, and fourth spot lies between this row and dark bronze to coppery brown apical half of forewing. Borderline between differently coloured parts of forewing clearly marked by row of dark brown scales arising from costa at 0.55 × FWL and reaching 0.4–0.6 × width of forewing. Wide glossy silver to dark bronze band outside this dark brown line is present in most specimens, although clearly visible in fresh specimens only. Dark brown band arising from costa at 0.60–0.65 × FWL varies in shape; in most specimens it is rather short, with only few or no dark brown scales scattered over bronze background near outer wing margin. Fringe bronze to dark brown. Basal 0.3–0.5 of hindwing light yellow to light grey, semitranslucent, contrasting with coppery brown apical part; costal area grey; fringe yellowish grey basally to bronze apically. Legs coppery brown to glossy golden; tarsomeres ventrally yellow. Epiphysis at 0.55, reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen dorsally light brown, laterally yellow, ventrally dark coppery brown.   
Female (Fig. 60). FWL 6.7–6.9 mm. Antenna 2.3–2.4 × FWL, base not thickened; entire flagellum dark brown. Hindwing base (0.4 × hindwing length) pale yellow, apical part dark coppery brown. Otherwise similar to male.  
Male genitalia (Figs. 109, 123). Tegumen dome-shaped, with small to prominent medial ridge. Socii elongate, 1.0–1.1 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 3.0–3.5 × length of valva, Y-shaped, with slightly concave lateral margins and W-shaped to nearly straight distal margin. Tip of tegumen at about same level as tips of valvae or slightly extends beyond them. Basal parts of valvae (0.5 × valvar length) much wider than distal parts; dorsal valvar margin almost straight; tip of valva pointed. Ventral valvar margin with posteroventrally directed lobe; it never looks hook-shaped in lateral view. Valvae fused basally up to 0.15–0.25 × total length; internal valvar margins distinct. Anellus 0.4–0.5 × length of valva. Transtilla with short narrow medial process. Juxta 0.45 × length of phallus; arrow head narrow (WLR 0.45), with pointed tip and short lateral arms with wide rectangular tips. Phallus 1.1 × length of vinculum, almost straight; apex of phallus with four hook-like processes, three large and one small; right large process shallowly C-shaped, with tip directed anterolaterally; left large process forms narrow hook with tip directed anteriorly; third large process is perpendicular to first two processes and forms a hook with tip directed dorsally; base of phallus funnel-shaped.  
 Distribution. India (this study; questionable record—see comment to N. aglaospila above), continental China (this study; questionable record), Myanmar (this study), Thailand (this study), Malaysia (Meyrick 1921), Singapore (this study), Indonesia (Diakonoff 1951), Philippines (this study).   
 Comments. One male from Mergui in the NHM collection bears a label with Walsingham’s manuscript species name.   
 This species is variable in external characters (occipital distance, area covered by appressed glossy scales on vertex, wing pattern), and characters mentioned by Diakonoff (1951) as diagnostic for N. pecuniosa are well within the individual variation ranges of both N. aurisparsella and N. pecuniosa. Consequently, reliable discrimination between N. aurisparsella and N. pecuniosa based on moth photographs is currently impossible. Nevertheless, keeping in mind the absence of N. aurisparsella in the study region, the moth photographed in China (www.inaturalist.org/ observations/166965433) likely belongs to N. pecuniosa.
description: Published as part of Kozlov, Mikhail V., 2024, Fairy moths of the genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg, 1798 (Lepidoptera: Adelidae) from Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, pp. 1-66 in Zootaxa 5423 (1) on pages 48-50, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5423.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10805789