Athrypsiastis edelweissella Sterling & Lees, 2025

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, ZooKeys 1229, pp. 297-368 : 297-368

Athrypsiastis edelweissella Sterling & Lees sp. nov.

Figs 25 , 51 A, B

DNA barcode.

N / A.

Type material.

West Papua, Indonesia: Holotype • ♂, Dutch New Guinea, Satakwa [Setakwa] River , M. 3000 ft.,. 7.10., fwl 9 mm, specimen no. NHMUK 010219687 , slide no. NHMUK 010316429 .

Diagnosis.

The adult is indistinguishable from other white species of Athrypsiastis . In the male genitalia the uncus is bifid with shallow medial emargination and the medial plate of the gnathos is very large and strongly sclerotised and projects posteriorly very strongly. The saccular process is very long and thin, substantially projecting beyond the apex of the valva.

Description.

Male (Fig. 25 ). Forewing length 9 mm, wingspan 20 mm. Head: ocelli absent; frons with silver white appressed scales; vertex with silver white appressed scales, two tufts of long cream scales laterally on vertex, two tufts of long cream scales on posterior part of occiput pointing inwards and posteriorly, overlaying collar of broad flat silver white scales on anterior margin of prothorax, pointing posteriorly; pilifers not visible; maxillary palps white. Labial palps long (3 × diameter of eye), strongly recurved, silver white, closely appressed to head; long, basal segment with small tuft; second segment strongly curved, thinly scaled, slightly longer than third segment; third segment long with white appressed scales. Haustellum with basal portion well scaled silver white. Antenna 2 / 3 length of forewing, bipectinate, scape white, flagellum with dorsal surface (except filiform portion) scaled silver white, filiform portion black, pectinations long, black, covered in short white sensillae, pectinations reducing at ¾, apical portion filiform. Thorax: with remains of white scaling, remains of tegulae white; foreleg with femur and tibia white, long thin tibial epiphysis, tarsus brown ringed with white; mid legs missing, hind leg silver white with tuft of long silver white scales. Forewing broad, costa gently arched at base, thereafter straight, apex obtusely rounded, termen slightly angled inwards, tornus obtusely rounded, silver white, unmarked apart from small line of brown scales from base of costa of forewing to 1 / 5 and a faint ochreous tinge towards dorsum of forewing. Hindwing as broad as forewing, rounded, silver white, unmarked. Ventrally, costal area of forewing towards base and veins pale brown, otherwise forewing and hindwing white.

Female. Unknown.

Pre-genital abdomen. White, anal tuft white. Patches of tergal spines on posterior parts of T 2 – T 7; T 8 and sternites unsclerotised. Apodemes curved; venulae sinuate.

Male genitalia (Fig. 51 A, B ). The right valva is missing from the specimen but the genitalia are otherwise in good condition. Uncus long with anterior margin of dorsal surface almost straight, apically bifid with shallow medial emargination. Gnathos fused medially, lateral arms large, strongly sclerotised, medial plate very strongly sclerotised, thick and broad, strongly projecting posteriorly from lateral arms, apically pointed and scobinate, gnathos projecting posteriorly further than uncus. Tegumen band deeply arched, moderately narrow, lateral extensions of tegumen short. Vinculum short, broad, robust, base slightly projecting anteriorly beyond base of valvae. Saccus short. Anellus lobes short and broad. Valva long and broad, substantially broadening postmedially, costal margin straight basally, curved distally, large semicircular setose ventral membrane from costa with long fine setae and large ridge at anterior margin, saccular margin of valva straight, small weak ventral sclerite postmedially, distal and saccular margins broadly angled, distal margin angled outwards, apex broadly rounded. Sacculus longer than broad. Saccular process developing from distal part of sacculus, commencing above middle of valva, strongly curved towards saccular margin, very long, almost uniform width, projecting substantially beyond apex of valva, robust setae commencing submedially, double line of short appressed bristles commencing medially, continuing slightly beyond apex of process. Aedeagus narrow throughout, curved, slightly broader posteriorly with some sclerotisation. Bulbus ejaculatorius long, coiled, head large and broad.

Biology and early stages.

Early stages unknown. Adult found in July.

Distribution.

Dutch New Guinea.

Etymology.

edelweissella — this all-white species is named after the iconic white alpine flower Leontopodium nivale (Ten.) A. Huet ex Hand. (Asteraceae), the common name of which is Edelweiss. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Figures

Figures 22–31. Dorsal images of Topiris, Athrypsiastis and Paralecta spp. 22 Topiris RMNH. INS. 20000 23 Athrypsiastis phaeoleuca Meyrick, 1910, holotype ♂ 24 A. cheesmanae sp. nov., paratype ♂ 25 A. edelweissella sp. nov., holotype ♂ 26 A. halmaherella (Lvovsky, 2014), comb. nov., holotype ♂ 27 A. penumbrella sp. nov., holotype ♂ 28 A. symmetra Meyrick, 1915, ♂ 29 Paralecta rosiflora (Meyrick, 1930), comb. nov., holotype 30 Topiris salva (Meyrick, 1932) ♀ 31 T. salva ♀. Scale bars: 10 mm (22–29).

Figures 48–56. Male genitalia of Topiris and Athrypsiastis spp. 48 T. sampitella (Lvovsky, 2014), holotype, Gen. prep. No 63 49 A, B Athrypsiastis phaeoleuca Meyrick, 1910, holotype, slide no. NHMUK 010316398 50 A, B A. cheesmanae sp. nov., holotype, slide no. NHMUK 010316428 51 A, B A. edelweissella sp. nov., holotype, slide no. NHMUK 010316429 52 A. penumbrella sp. nov. A holotype, slide no. NHMUK 010316430 B paratype, slide no. NHMUK 010316843 53 A, B A. symmetra Meyrick, slide no. NHMUK 010316443 54 A. halmaherella (Lvovsky), holotype, Gen. prep. No 62 55 A. chionodes Diakonoff, 1954, holotype 56 A. delicata Diakonoff, 1954, holotype. Scale bar: 1 mm (49–53 B).