Nemophora nitidulella Kozlov 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kozlov, Mikhail V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Adelidae
Nemophora
Nemophora nitidulella

description: Nemophora nitidulella Kozlov, sp. nov.
(Figs. 55, 56, 101, 132, 162)
LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 60B2BEEF-B5F0-4FB1-8964-BB358EB63458
Holotype ♁: India, Assam, Margherita (27 o 17′ N, 95 o 40′ E); labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo-│type’; 7 × 12 mm, print ‘ Margherita │ ASSAM │ Doherty, 18[??] │ No.’; 7 × 10 mm, print ‘ Walsingham │ Collection. │ 1910–427.’; 8 × 13 mm, print ‘B. M. │ Genitalia slide │ No. 27842’; 8 × 20 mm, print ‘HOLOTYPE ♁ │ Nemophora nitidu- │ lella Kozlov, 1999’ (NHM). Paratypes. 1 ♀, labelled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘Para-│type’; 4 × 10 mm, print + black ink ‘ Khasi Hills, │ Assam. │.9.1908’; 12 × 14 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois │ satrapodes │ 3/3 Meyr. │ E. Meyrick det. │ in Meyrick Coll. ’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘ Meyrick Coll. │ B. M. 1938–290’; 4 × 27 mm, black ink ‘ satrapodes Meyr.’ 1 ♀, labelled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘Para-│type’; 9 × 14 mm, print + black ink ‘ Cherra Punji │ KHASIAS │ IX.1894 │ Nat. (Doncaster) │ 72034’; 7 × 10 mm, print ‘ Walsingham │ Collection. │ 1910–427.’; 9 × 18 mm, black frame, black ink + print ‘ Adela ♀ │ satrapodes Meyr. │ Named by Drnt.’. 1 ♀, labelled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘Para-│ type’; 13 × 16 mm, print ‘ INDIA: │ Khasias Hills │ Doherty 1898–9 │ Walsingham │ collection │ B. M. 1910–427’ (all in NHM). 1 ♁, labeled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘Para-│type’; 6 × 12 mm, print ‘ Nepal Central │ 15 km SE Kathmandu │ 1800m mixed forest │ 28.8.1995 ad lucem │ A. Wikberg’ (MZH). 1 ♁, labeled: 8 mm circle with yellow border, print ‘Para-│type’; 4 × 7 mm, black ink ‘ Khas [i]. H[ills]. │ 7–8.[18]99’; 5 × 17 mm, black ink ‘mediocroceella’ (MNHN). All paratypes bear the label: 8 × 20 mm, print ‘ PARATYPE ♁ [or ♀]│ Nemophora nitidu- │ lella Kozlov, 1999’.
Diagnosis. Nemophora nitidulella externally is most similar to N. satrapodes (Meyrick, 1894) described from Myanmar, from which it differs by the ochreous brown frons and by the internal silver-grey band in fascia. Among Nemophora species recorded in India and Sri Lanka N. nitidulella resembles N. pyrites (Fig. 59, 60) and N. smaragdaspis (Fig. 61, 62), from which it differs by the wide yellow band in the forewing fascia (its width approaces forewing width), straight ventral margin of the valva and phallus without articulated carinae or sclerotized sinuate processes. Nemophora nitidulella also resembles N. chrysocrossa (Figs. 43, 44), from which it differs by the dull ochreous-brown frons.
Description. Male (Fig. 55). FWL 7.0– 8.9 mm; WLR 0.34–0.37. Vertex ochreous, frons ochreous brown. Interocular index 1.15–1.30; occipital distance 0.1. PLB 0.5–0.7 × vertical eye diameter (1.2‒1.3 × length of scape), light ochreous yellow. Antenna 3.0 × FWL. Scape ochreous brown; flagellum basally dark brown; at the level of forewing facsia its colour gradually changes to grey or white. Tegula, thorax and forewing (Fig.101) shining dark green. Fascia consists of a wide (0.30–0.35 × FWL) pale yellow band, which reaches costa at 0.35 × FWL; this band bordered on both sides by shining silver-grey bands followed by dark brown bands; internal dark brown band wide, in some specimens expands along costa almost to wing base; external dark brown band triangular, wide at costa and narrow at dorsum. Fringe dark brown. Basal third of hindwing grey, semitranslucent; apical part brown to bronze; costal area light grey, medially with almost indistinguishable light yellow spot reaching R vein; fringe light brown apically to light grey basally. Legs brown to light brown; mid tibia ventrally with narrow yellow line; hind tibia light bronze, with brown apex; tarsomeres light ochreous brown, with brown apices. Epiphysis at 0.4 of tibia, not reaching its apex. Abdomen brown to bronze.
Female (Fig. 56). FWL 5.8–8.2 mm. Antenna 1.1 × FWL. Scape and basal part of flagellum ochreous brown; raised black scales form characteristic brush on flagellum at about the level of forewing fascia; distal half of flagellum brown. Otherwise similar to male.
Male genitalia (Figs. 132, 162). Tegumen dome-shaped, with small medial ridge. Socii elongate, 1.6 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 4.2 × length of valva, V-shaped, with slightly convex lateral margins and gently W-shaped distal margin. Tip of tegumen extends beyond tips of valvae. Valva wide, both ventral and dorsal margins slightly convex, tip of valva widely rounded. Valvae fused basally up to 0.25–0.30 × total length; their internal margins distinct. Anellus 0.35 × length of valva. Transtilla with narrow pointed medial process. Juxta 0.45 × length of phallus; arrow head narrow (WLR 0.4), with pointed tip and short pointed lateral arms. Phallus 1.10–1.15 × length of vinculum, gently C-shaped; base of phallus narrowly funnel-shaped, tip flattened laterally, forming large (3 × diameter of phallus) thin semicircular lobe with serrate margins.
Distribution. India (Assam, Meghalaya), Nepal.
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from nitidus (Latin: bright, shining) and refers to bright forefing colour of this species.
Comment. One of paratypes was misidentified (presumably by Durrant) as N. satrapodes.
description: Published as part of Kozlov, Mikhail V., 2023, Fairy moths of the genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg, 1798 (Lepidoptera: Adelidae) of India and Sri Lanka, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 5300 (1) on pages 43-44, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5300.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8012772