Topiris madonna Sterling & Price & Lees 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Sterling, Mark J.
name: Price, Ben W.
name: Lees, David C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Xyloryctidae
Topiris
Topiris madonna

description: Topiris madonna Sterling & Lees sp. nov.
Figs 16, 42 A, B
DNA barcode.
BIN: N / A. The sequence fragment obtained (PP 131485) was too short to qualify for a BIN.
Type material.
Peninsular Malaysia: Holotype • ♂ W. Malaysia, Selangor, Bangi, UKM campus, lowland dipterocarp forest, 70 m, 25–26.vii.1991, G. S. Robinson leg., fwl 6.5 mm, specimen no. NHMUK 010922998, slide no. NHMUK 010316357, Process ID METAT 030-18 (307 bp).
Diagnosis.
The only white member of the salva group in which the flagellum of the antenna is thickly scaled white for most of its length. In the male genitalia the broad, triangular saccular process with a sclerotised hook at the apex distinguishes this species from its congeners, although the saccular process slightly resembles the saccular process of T. albogrisella. For differences in the male genitalia of these two species see Diagnosis for T. albogrisella above and compare Fig. 40 A and Fig. 42 A.
Description.
Male (Fig. 16). Forewing length 6.5 mm, wingspan 14 mm. Head: frons with appressed white scales with some iridescence; vertex with a tuft of white scales projecting away from the base of the antennae, occiput with some further white scales projecting upwards and posteriorly from the sides, overlaying in part remains of a collar of broad white scales projecting posteriorly from the anterior margin of prothorax; pilifers small with small tufts of bristles; maxillary palps not visible. Labial palps long,> 2.5 × diameter of eye, strongly recurved; basal segment with small white scale tuft, second segment longer than third, strongly curved with a moderate covering of appressed scales, some ochreous colouration at sides; third segment almost straight with a thin covering of white appressed scales. Haustellum with white scaling on basal portion. Antenna ¾ length of forewing, bipectinate; scape with appressed white scales; flagellum with short dark pectinations for ¾ of length, pectinations covered in short white sensillae, dorsal surface and sides with thick white scaling for most of length, apical portion filiform. Thorax: covered with white appressed scales; tegulae fairly short, white; femur white, tibia and tarsus brown, moderately large tibial epiphysis, mid legs and hind legs white, hind legs with tuft of white scales. Forewing broad, costa slightly rounded at base, otherwise straight, apex obtusely rounded, termen angled very slightly inwards, tornus obliquely angled, white with silvery iridescence, unmarked except for a line of brown scales from the base of the costa to ~ ¼. Hindwing as broad as forewing, rounded with a very slightly pointed apex, white. Ventrally, forewings with area between costa and Sc pale ochreous, pale ochreous scaling along veins, hindwings white.
Female. Unknown.
Pre-genital abdomen. White, white anal tuft.
Male genitalia (Fig. 42 A, B). Uncus broad, anterior margin of dorsal surface weakly emarginate, apically spatulate, almost rectangular, apical margin straight. Gnathos fused medially, medial plate small and lightly sclerotised, slightly projecting posteriorly from lateral arms. Tegumen band broad and strongly arched, lateral extensions of tegumen longer than width of tegumen band. Vinculum long, robust, U shaped, well sclerotised, base substantially projecting anteriorly beyond base of valvae. Saccus moderately large. Juxta with U-shaped basal plate, anellus lobes broad, moderately long. Valva long, broad throughout, costal margin distally curved, long setose ventral membrane from costa, apex of valva with tuft of short bristles, saccular margin of valva curved at base, otherwise straight, strong, thin ventral sclerite postmedially. Sacculus longer than broad. Saccular process developing from distal part of sacculus, commencing near costa of valva, broad, triangular, basal margin long, thick, straight, and well sclerotised, remainder of process well sclerotised with a large, strongly sclerotised hook at apex. Aedeagus long with a long, recurved, filament-like distal projection and pronounced distal thickening.
Biology and early stages.
Early stages unknown. Adult recorded from lowland dipterocarp forest in July.
Distribution.
Selangor, Malaysia.
Etymology.
madonna (modern lat.) means, among other things, an artistic depiction of the Virgin Mary. The Madonna is often depicted in religious iconography as dressed in white. The epithet is a noun in the nominative singular.
description: Published as part of Sterling, Mark J., Price, Ben W. & Lees, David C., 2025, A revision of the hitherto neglected genus Topiris Walker, 1863 (Lepidoptera, Xyloryctidae) with taxonomic notes on the genus Athrypsiastis Meyrick, 1910, pp. 297-368 in ZooKeys 1229 on pages 297-368, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1229.119155