Nemacerota shennongshii, Jin & Han, 2025

Jin, Yuan Yuan & Han, Hui Lin, 2025, A new species of Nemacerota Hampson, [1893] (Lepidoptera, Drepanidae, Thyatirinae) from China, Zootaxa 5646 (2), pp. 297-300 : 297-300

Nemacerota shennongshii sp. nov. (Common name. ÞĖaeĸăäḁ)

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E195C364-7FA9-4440-89FD-75A3B4E52237

(Figures 1, 2, 7, 10)

Type material. Holotype. [ CHINA] male, Muyu Village, Shennongjia Forestry District , Prov. Hubei, 13 vii 2022, leg. Xinying Lai, genit. prep. hhl-5726-1, coll. NEFU . Paratype. [ CHINA] 1 female, Xiaolongtan, Shennongjia Forestry District , Prov. Hubei, 12 viii 2022, leg. Xinying Lai, genit. prep. hhl-5727-2, coll. NEFU .

Diagnosis. For males, N. shennongshii sp. nov. (Figs 1, 7) is similar to N. taurina (Figs 3, 8) and N. stueningi in appearance (Figs 5, 9), but can be distinguished from them by certain features of the forewing markings and ground color. Unlike N. taurina , the new species has a conspicuously narrower median area and lacks the distinct black definition of the antemedial and postmedial lines; the upper section of the postmedial line is almost straight, touching the outer edge of the reniform stigma, while it is running far from it in N. taurina producing a wide outcurve at the lower extremity of the cell. N. shennongshii differs from N. stueningi in its generally lighter colouration on both wings, with silvery-grey suffusion of the forewing median area which is lacking in N. stueningi .

In the male genitalia, the socii of N. shennongshii sp. nov. are broad at the base and hooked at the apex, whereas slender and thorn-shaped in N. taurina , and club-shaped in N. stueningi . The saccular process in the new species is apically pointed triangular, while it is more basally positioned, short, and narrow trapezoidal in N. taurina ; this saccular process is rounded triangular in N. stueningi .

For females, N. shennongshii sp. nov. (Figs 2, 10) is very similar externally to N. taurina (Figs 4, 11) and resembles N. bacsovi (Figs 6, 12). N. shennongshii and N. taurina are hardly distinguishable by the colouration and wing pattern, displaying only slight differences: the subbasal line of the new species is darker than that of N. taurina ; the basal line of the new species is more obscure than that of N. taurina , and its inner area lacks a distinct dirty white color; the antemedial line in the new species is more serrated compared with that of N. taurina ; the postmedial line in the new species is somewhat more convex at veins M 1 and A 1+2 than in N. taurina , but the female genitalia display clearly recognizable differences. Both closely related species differ from N. bacsovi by their smaller size, less darkened basal and marginal areas, narrower median area bordered by sharper blackish antemedial and postmedial cross-lines, and paler, more uniformly greyish hindwings.

In the female genitalia, the antrum of N. shennongshii sp. nov. is saddle-shaped, this part of the copulatory organ is funnel-shaped in N. taurina and bell-shaped in N. bacsovi . The ductus bursae is wider in the new species than in N. taurina and N. bacsovi , with the narrowest in N. bacsovi . The tubular part of the corpus bursae in the new species is curved at the top and has a single coil; while in N. taurina , this section is relatively longer and coils twice.

Description. Male. Adult (Fig 1). Forewing length 17 mm, wingspan 36 mm. Head. Grey; labial palpus dark brown; antennae shortly bipectinate. Thorax. Densely covered with grayish white hair, mixed ochre; patagium whitish black; tegula white gray. Forewing wide; basal line black, visible only at the costal margin; subbasal line wavy, dark grey; antemedial area slightly lighter than ground color, obscure; antemedial line double, its inner line dark grey, broad and distinct, outer line grayish-brown, thin and indistinct, protruding at vein Cu 2; median area white-gray, with an inverted triangle black mark near the costal margin; median line absent; postmedial line double, wavy, with the inner line being faint, finely touching reniform stigma; subterminal line silvery white, poorly visible; terminal line black; fringes as ground color; orbicular stigma absent; reniform stigma kidney-shaped. Hindwings paler than forewing, pale whitish-grey; veins distinct; marginal area light gray; median line thin, grayish-black; terminal line blackish; fringes as ground color.

Abdomen. Brown, mixed with pale scales.

Female (Fig 2). Forewing length 18 mm, wingspan 38 mm. Similar to male, but antennae filiform; antemedial area prominently broader and lighter than that of the male, antemedial line double, zigzagged; median area white-gray; median line absent; postmedial line more convex at veins M 1 and A 1+2.

Male genitalia (Fig 7). Saccus well-developed. Vinculum wide, strongly sclerotized. Fultura superior slightly sclerotized, bar-shaped. Tegumen rather short and broad. Uncus wide at base, straight in the middle part, tapering and rounded apically; socii broad at base, hooked at apex. Juxta V-shaped, slightly sclerotized. Valva narrow, slightly sclerotized, parallelogram-shaped; sacculus thick, shorter than half the length of valva, with small triangular saccular process, sclerotized; costa broadly sclerotized. Aedeagus long, narrow, strongly sclerotized, slightly curved medially, dagger-shaped, with long ventral carinal process and rather narrow distal opening; vesica tubular, tapering distally with tiny sclerotized cornuti.

Female genitalia (Fig. 10). Papillae analis short, wide, sclerotized, covered in sparse short setae; apophysis posterioris and apophysis anterioris strongly sclerotized, with the former being 3/4 the length of the latter; ostium bursae saddle-shaped; antrum strongly sclerotized, saddle-shaped; ductus bursae short, membranous; tubular distal part of corpus bursae with one full coil; proximal part of corpus bursae oblong, weakly sclerotized.

Distribution. China (Hubei).

Etymology. The species name is dedicated to “Shennongshi”, who was the leader of the Jiang tribe in ancient China. According to legend, he tasted a hundred herbs here, hence the name of this place.