Nemophora fluorites (Kozlov, 2023)

Liao, Cheng-Qing, Hirowatari, Toshiya, Yagi, Sadahisa, Wang, Min, Wang, Xing & Huang, Guo-Hua, 2023, The fauna of the family Adelidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Adeloidea) from China, Zootaxa 5348 (1), pp. 1-152 : 49-50

3.12 Nemophora fluorites species group

Diagnosis. This species group can be distinguished by the following characters: the forewing base has some basal longitudinal striae; a pair of black-margined leaden transverse fasciae are approximated at the middle to form an X-shaped mark at the postdiscal area; the subapical area of the forewing is uniformly yellow, at most scattered with some black scales; and the suspensorium is large, far beyond the posterior margin of the vinculum.

Remarks. This species group consists of four species, two of which are described as new species, namely N. latilobula sp. nov. and N. longispina sp. nov., in this paper. Among them, the distribution range of N. fluorites is the widest, from the west to Assam in India and the east to Taiwan in China. N. tanakai overlapped with the former in large areas of the distribution range. According to Hirowatari (2007) and collection by the authors here, these two species occur sympatrically to a great extent. N. latilobula sp. nov. is very restricted in distribution, whereas it is relatively widespread in N. longispina sp. nov. including central China. In terms of morphological features, the two new species seem to be different from the former two, especially the obvious small eyes in male and the unique male genitalia. For example, N. latilobula sp. nov. has distinctly rounded and broad valva, and N. longispina sp. nov. presents some extremely slender and developed spines in the apical part of the aedeagus dorsally, which may be their special autapomorphies. However, we still treated these two new species as members of the fluorites group because of the obvious basal longitudinal striae and X-shaped central fasciae of the forewing.

Key to species of the fluorites group based on external morphology

1 Pair of forewing central fasciae connected in middle; male eyes extremely large, eye size index more than 4..... N. fluorites

- Pair of forewing central fasciae not connected in middle; male eyes relatively small or very small, eye size index less than 3.................................................................................................... 2

2 Subapical yellow area of forewing with distinctly wide black frame; male eyes relatively large, eye size index about 2.6................................................................................................. N. tanakai

- Subapical yellow area of forewing without distinct frame; male eyes very small, eye size index less than 0.6............. 3

3 Forewing obviously narrow with about 3.7 times as long as width; subapical yellow area almost without black scales......................................................................................... .. N. latilobula sp. nov.

- Forewing obviously broad with about 3.2 times as long as width; subapical yellow area scattered with a vast of black scales................................................................................... N. longispina sp. nov.

Key to species of the fluorites group based on male genitalia

1 Valva obviously rounded with blunt apex; vinculum narrowly tapered with pointed apex; aedeagus slender and straight........................................................................................ N. latilobula sp. nov.

- Valva typically triangular with pointed apex; vinculum broad and rounded; aedeagus relatively short and stout, basal part curved dorsally........................................................................................2

2 Uncus quadrate, posterior part extremely curved to the inside ventrally; aedeagus with large spines apically................................................................................................. N. longispina sp. nov.

- Uncus triangular, posterior part slightly oblique ventrally; aedeagus without large spines apically...................... 3

3 Posterior margin of vinculum with a circular membranous window area medially.......................... .. N. fluorites

- Posterior margin of vinculum without a circular membranous window area................................. N. tanakai