Topiris thunbergella 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 thunbergella

description: Topiris thunbergella Sterling & Lees sp. nov.
Figs 19, 44 A, B
DNA barcode.
N / A.
Type material.
Thailand. Holotype • ♂, Thailand, Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, San Kuu, 1540 m, 22.iv–6.v.1994, I. J. Kitching leg., fwl 7 mm, specimen no. NHMUK 010219684, slide no. NHMUK 010316361. Paratypes (2 ♂): • 1 ♂, same collection data as holotype, specimen no. NHMUK 010219692, slide no. NHMUK 010316444; • 1 ♂, Thailand, Khao Yai NP, 1200 m, 17.iv.1987, Col M. G. Allen leg., specimen no. NHMUK 010219789, slide no. NHMUK 010316876.
Diagnosis.
The strong ochreous colour and dark yellow scaling on the vertex distinguishes this species from all other species of Topiris. In the male genitalia the long, narrow, saccular process, which has long setae basally and medially and which is bristled apically, is not found elsewhere in Topiris. The species is externally similar to an undescribed species of Ptochoryctis and an undescribed species close to Metathrinca ceromorpha (Meyrick, 1923) (see Remarks below), both of which have been found in the same part of Thailand.
Description.
Male (Fig. 19). Forewing length 7–9 mm, wingspan 15–20 mm. Head: frons thickly covered in appressed dark yellow scales; vertex with thick tuft of long dark yellow scales projecting upwards and away from base of antennae, further dark yellow scales projecting posteriorly from occiput, overlaying a collar of broad, brown, appressed scales projecting posteriorly from anterior margin of prothorax; pilifers small with moderate tufts of bristles; maxillary palps pale ochreous. Labial palps long (> 2.5 × diameter of eye), strongly recurved; basal segment with small tuft of light brown scales; second segment longer than third, strongly curved, pale yellow on the inner side and brown mixed with pale yellow on the outer side towards base; third segment slightly curved, thickly covered with pale yellow appressed scales. Haustellum with pale ochreous scales basally. Antenna ¾ length of forewing, bipectinate; scape with appressed dark yellow scales, flagellum with black pectinations for ¾ of length, covered in short white sensillae, dorsal surface of most of flagellum covered with yellow scales, apical portion filiform. Thorax: dark brown anteriorly, ochreous posteriorly, tegulae three coloured, dark brown anteriorly, graduating to paler brown and becoming pale ochreous posteriorly, mid legs and hind legs scaled pale ochreous with thin tufts of pale ochreous scales. Forewing broad, costa almost straight throughout, apex slightly pointed, termen angled slightly inwards, tornus obtusely rounded, uniformly golden ochreous, unmarked except for a row of dark scales at base of costa to <¼; hindwing as broad as forewing, silvery white; cilia pale ochreous. Ventrally, surface of forewing with brown scaling between costa and Sc and along veins, hindwing pale brown.
Female. Unknown.
Pre-genital abdomen. Pale ochreous, anal tuft pale ochreous. Tergal spines on the posterior parts of T 2 – T 7; a few tergal spines on T 8; sternites weakly sclerotised. Apodemes long, straight, venulae almost straight.
Male genitalia (Fig. 44 A, B). Uncus broad, anterior margin of dorsal surface weakly emarginate, narrowing postmedially, apically spatulate, apical margin curved. Gnathos fused medially, lateral arms thin, medial plate small and lightly sclerotised, slightly projecting posteriorly beyond lateral arms. Tegumen band broad and strongly arched, lateral extensions of tegumen substantially longer than width of tegumen band. Vinculum robust, well sclerotised, U-shaped, base substantially projecting anteriorly beyond base of valvae. Saccus large. Juxta with V-shaped basal plate, anellus lobes broad and fairly short. Valva long, broad throughout, costal margin projecting medially and setose, long setose ventral membrane from costa extending for almost entire length of costal margin, apex obtusely rounded, saccular margin of valva slightly indented medially, long thin ventral sclerite postmedially. Sacculus long, substantially longer than broad, slightly setose. Saccular process developing from distal part of sacculus, commencing near costa of valva, long and narrow, almost straight, thickly setose for> 1 / 2 length, terminating in curved bristle brush projecting beyond apex of process. Aedeagus long, distal projection of aedeagus sheath slightly angulated, recurved, distal thickening of projection small with a small, sclerotised, pointed tip. Bulbus ejaculatorius long, two coils.
Biology and early stages.
Early stages unknown. Adults found from 1200–1540 m elevation in April / May.
Distribution.
Northern Thailand.
Etymology.
thunbergella — named in honour of the climate change activist Greta Thunberg, in recognition of her work in raising consciousness of the potentially catastrophic pressures on the natural environment in places where this species and the other species reviewed in this paper occur. The epithet is a noun in apposition.
Remarks.
Three externally similar species of unicolourous, ochreous, xyloryctid moth occur in the northern part of Thailand, this species, an undescribed species of Ptochoryctis and a further undescribed species close to Metathrinca ceromorpha. In the two latter species, R 3 is absent in the forewing.
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