Topiris albogrisella 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 albogrisella

description: Topiris albogrisella Sterling & Lees sp. nov.
Figs 14, 40 A, B
DNA barcode.
N / A.
Type material.
Malaysian Borneo: Holotype • ♂, Sabah, Gunong Monkobo, 116.56 E, 5.48 N, Dipterocarp Forest, 7–13.viii.1987, K. R. Tuck leg., fwl 8 mm, specimen no. NHMUK 010923006, slide no. NHMUK 010316356. Paratype • ♂, same collection data as holotype, specimen no. NHMUK 010923005, slide no. NHMUK 010316437.
Diagnosis.
The slightly off-white colour of the forewings and brownish grey tinge to the thicker scaling on the dorsum may distinguish this species externally from other Topiris but external determination cannot be made with certainty. In the male genitalia, the only other species with a long filament-like distal projection of the aedeagus with similar genitalia is T. madonna. This species can be distinguished from T. madonna by the emarginate apical margin of the valva and the apex of the uncus which is broad and rounded in this species but narrower and rectangular in T. madonna. (Figs 40 A, 42 A).
Description.
Male (Fig. 14). Forewing length 8 mm; wingspan 17.5 mm. Head: frons with appressed dirty white scales; vertex with long narrow white scales projecting away from base of antennae, further tufts of white scales projecting sideways from sides of occiput, two tufts of long white scales projecting posteriorly from posterior margin of occiput, overlaying in part a collar of broader white appressed scales projecting posteriorly from anterior margin of prothorax; pilifers short, cylindrical, with tufts of short dark bristles; maxillary palps whitish. Labial palps long (almost 3 × diameter of eye); strongly recurved; basal segment with small scale tuft; second segment longer than third, strongly curved with thin appressed matt white scales; third segment slightly curved with thin tightly appressed white scales. Haustellum with basal portion scaled silver white. Antenna ¾ length of forewing, bipectinate; scape with appressed pale ochreous scales; flagellum with short dark pectinations covered in short sensillae for ¾ of length, apical portion filiform; basal part of dorsal surface scaled pale ochreous for a short distance, thereafter dark with scattered silver scaling. Thorax: greyish ochreous with silver iridescence; tegulae short, paler. Foreleg with femur white, tibia and tarsus with dark brown scaling mixed with white; broad tibial epiphysis; mid legs and hind legs white; hind legs with dense white scale tuft. Forewing broad, costa gently curved at base, thereafter almost straight, apex rounded, termen angled inwards, tornus obtusely angled; white with a pale greyish ochreous tinge, unmarked except for a line of brown scales from the base of the costa to ~ 1 / 5, thicker scaling on dorsum terminating well before tornus, tinged greyish ochreous though indistinct, cilia white. Hindwing as broad as forewing, rounded and broad with a very slightly pointed apex; white. Ventrally, forewing with brown scaling between costa and Sc, veins lined with pale brown scales; hindwing dull white.
Female. Unknown.
Pre-genital abdomen. White. Tergal spines on posterior part of T 2 – T 7; sternites and part of T 8 weakly sclerotised. Apodemes curved anteriorly, venulae short.
Male genitalia (Fig. 40 A, B). Uncus broad, anterior margin of dorsal surface weakly emarginate, broadening sub-apically, apically spatulate, with two small lateral processes on dorsal surface. Gnathos fused medially, lateral arms thin and lightly sclerotised, medial plate small and lightly sclerotised, weakly projecting posteriorly from lateral arms. Tegumen broad and strongly arched, lateral extensions of tegumen longer than width of tegumen band. Vinculum robust, well sclerotised, U shaped, base substantially projecting anteriorly beyond the base of the valvae. Saccus large. Juxta with narrow V-shaped basal plate, anellus lobes broad at base, moderately long. Valva broad throughout, broadening distally, apical margin slightly emarginate, costal ventral membrane with long setae and a small tuft of bristles distally, apex of valva with tuft of short bristles, saccular margin of valva slightly curved, strong ventral sclerite postmedially with projection attaching to base of saccular process. Sacculus almost as broad as valva, longer than broad. Saccular process commencing near costa of valva, very broad, almost square in appearance, without setae or bristles, with a short fat strongly sclerotised hook apically. Aedeagus long, strongly curved, with a long, recurved, filament-like distal projection and a small distal thickening. Bulbus ejaculatorius long with two coils and a long hood.
Biology and early stages.
Early stages unknown. Adult found in dipterocarp forest at 975 m in August.
Distribution.
Sabah, Malaysia.
Etymology.
albogrisella — from albus (lat.), white; and griseus (lat.), grey. The forewings of this species are white with a slight grey tinge. The epithet is an adjective 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