Topiris schneeweissella 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 schneeweissella

description: Topiris schneeweissella Sterling & Lees sp. nov.
Figs 9, 36 A, B, 58, 75, 83
DNA barcodes.
BIN, BOLD: ADR 9774 (Process IDs METAT 031-18, METAT 214-19).
Type material.
Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand. Holotype • ♂, W. Malaysia, Selangor, Bangi, UKM campus, lowland dipterocarp forest, 70 m, 25–26.vii.1991, G. S. Robinson leg., fwl 6 mm, specimen no. NHMUK 010922999, slide no. NHMUK 010316358, Process ID METAT 031-18. Paratypes (7 ♂, 1 ♀): • 1 ♂ same collection details as holotype, specimen no. NHMUK 010923152, slide no. NHMUK 014331345; • 1 ♂ Malaysia, West Pahang, Genting Tea Estate, 2000 ft, 11–29.11.1981, H. S. Barlow leg., specimen no. NHMUK 010923173, slide no. NHMUK 010316449, Process ID METAT 213-19 (307 bp); • 1 ♂ W. Malaysia, Trengganu, 12 km S of Kuala Dungun, Bukit Bauk, dry lowland dipterocarp forest, 100 m, 3.viii.1991, G. S. Robinson leg., specimen no. NHMUK 010219698; slide no. NHMUK 010316450; • 1 ♂, Malaysia, West Pahang, Genting Tea Estate, 610 m, 10.x.1976, H. S. Barlow leg., specimen no. NHMUK 013699873, slide no. NHMUK 013691346; • 1 ♂, Malaysia, West Pahang, Genting Tea Estate, 610 m, 01.01.1982, H. S. Barlow leg., specimen no. NHMUK 013700111; • 1 ♂ S. Thailand, Narathiwat, km 17 on Ban Tabing Tingngi to Sri Sakhon Rd., 3.xii.1991, I. J. Kitching & A. M. Cotton leg., specimen no. NHMUK 010219804, slide no. NHMUK 014331347; • 1 ♂, Thailand, Narathiwat km 17, Ban Tabing Tingngi, to Sri Sakhon road, 220 m, 13.viii.1990, I. J. Kitching & A. M. Cotton leg., specimen no. NHMUK 013700110; • 1 ♀ Malaysia, West Pahang, Genting Tea Estate, 2000 ft, 29.11.1994, G. S. Robinson leg., specimen no. NHMUK 010923174, slide no. NHMUK 010316451, Process ID METAT 214-19.
Diagnosis.
Indistinguishable externally from other white species and forms of Topiris. In the male genitalia the broader postmedial section of the valva (Fig. 83) distinguishes this species from T. candidella and T. cinderella. Its snow-white colour and longer, less hooked, apical part of the saccular process distinguishes it from T. ochrotincta (Figs 9, 36). In the female genitalia the antrum lacks scobination (Fig. 58).
Description.
Male (Fig. 9). Forewing length 5.5–8 mm, wingspan 12.5–17.5 mm. Head: frons with appressed silver white scales; vertex with tuft of pure white scales pointing upwards and away from base of antennae, a thin tuft of long white scales from sides of occiput pointing upwards and a ruff of long white scales pointing posteriorly from posterior margin of occiput, overlaying a collar of broad flat white scales from anterior margin of prothorax; pilifers small, cylindrical with short tufts of bristles; maxillary palps white. Labial palps strongly recurved, long (> 2.5 × diameter of eye), first segment with small white scale tuft, second segment longer than third, strongly curved, thinly scaled ochreous mixed with some white, third segment almost straight, thinly covered with white scales. Haustellum with basal portion scaled silver white. Antenna ¾ length of forewing, bipectinate; scape with appressed white scaling at base, ochreous scaling towards pedicel, flagellum with shortish broad dark pectinations covered with short white sensillae for ¾ of length, ochreous scaling on dorsal surface for ¼ of length, thereafter dark brown, apical portion filiform. Thorax: white lamellate scales, tegulae short, white; foreleg with femur silver white, tibia and tarsus brown, long tibial epiphysis; mid and hind legs white, hind legs with thick tuft of white scales. Forewing broad, costa slightly rounded at base, very slightly convex thereafter, apex obtusely rounded, termen angled slightly inwards, tornus obtusely angled; snow white, slightly iridescent, unmarked except for a line of dark brown scales from edge of base of costa to ~ 1 / 5. Hindwing slightly broader than forewing, apex slightly projecting, white, unmarked. Ventrally, surface of forewings dark cream, veins scaled dark cream; hindwing white.
Female. Similar to male except forewing length 8 mm, wingspan 17.5 mm; antennae filiform throughout; thicker scale patch on dorsum tinged dirty white.
Pre-genital abdomen. White, long white anal tuft, patches of tergal spines on posterior parts of T 2 – T 7, T 8 with slight sclerotisation, apodemes almost straight, moderately long, venulae slightly sinuate.
Male genitalia (Figs 36 A, B, 83). Uncus broad, anterior margin of dorsal surface weakly emarginate, apex slightly bilobed. Gnathos fused medially, lateral arms thin and lightly sclerotised, medial plate small and lightly sclerotised, weakly projecting posteriorly from lateral arms (Fig. 75). Tegumen band broad and strongly arched, lateral extensions of tegumen same length as width of tegumen band. Vinculum short, robust, well sclerotised, strongly diverging distad of saccus, U shaped basally, base of vinculum barely projecting anteriorly beyond base of valvae. Saccus short. Juxta with broad V shaped basal plate, anellus lobes broad. Valva (Fig. 83) moderately long, broad at base, tapering to moderately narrow rounded apex, costal ventral membrane confined to inner half of valva, slightly rugose, long fine setae, from base of which arises a long, sclerotised process which is setose throughout, apex of valva with tuft of bristles which are long on costal margin, saccular margin of valva slightly curved, broad ventral sclerite postmedially. Sacculus very large with strong mesad shoulder, slightly longer than broad. Saccular process developing from distal part of sacculus, commencing close to costa of valva, strongly sclerotised and melanised, broad and straight at base, narrowing towards apex, apical part a long, curved hook terminating in a sharp apical point, short fine setae present. Aedeagus short, thin, slightly curved, small slightly recurved filament-like distal projection. Bulbus ejaculatorius long, coiled, elongate hood.
Female genitalia (Fig. 58). Papillae anales short and broad. Apophyses posteriores longer than apophyses anteriores. S 8 with posterior margin projecting caudally, covering the ostium, with two small digitate posterio-medial processes, anterior margin strongly recessed and strongly arched ventrad. Ostium small, circular. Antrum long, straight, and narrow, well sclerotised almost throughout. Ductus bursae long and thin, posteriorly membranous, anteriorly finely scobinate. Corpus bursae large and elongate, without signum.
Biology and early stages.
Early stages unknown. Adults have been found in lowland dipterocarp forest in West Malaysia and Southern Thailand in July, August, October, November, and December at elevations of 70– 600 m. Males and one female collected at mercury vapour light.
Distribution.
West Malaysia, Southern Thailand.
Etymology.
schneeweissella — from schnee, snow; and weiss, white (German). This is a reference to the glistening snow white colour of the wings. 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