MIKHAIL V. KOZLOV Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Finland NEMATOPOGON TAIWANELLA SP. N. FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF TAIWAN (LEPIDOPTERA, ADELIDAE) Kozlov, M. V., 2001. Nematopogon taiwanella sp. n. from the mountains of Taiwan (Lepi- doptera, Adelidae). – Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 144: 41-44, figs. 1-7. [ISSN 0040-7496]. Published 1 June 2001. Nematopogon taiwanella sp. n., described from specimens collected in highlands Taiwan, is closely related to N. chalcophyllis (Meyrick, 1935) from which it differs primarily in genital structures of both sexes, whereas external differences are subtle. The male of N. taiwanella has the valvar pectinifer with a higher (32-34) number of pegs, a relatively wider uncus with straight lateral margins, an aedeagus with only one apical cornutus, and a juxta with pointed ar- row-head; the female has a narrower tergite VIII. Correspondence: Mikhail V. Kozlov, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland. E-mail: [email protected] Key words. – Nematopogon; Adelidae; taxonomy; Taiwan. The adelid genus Nematopogon Zeller, with 13 structures of both sexes, whereas external differences species confined to the Palaearctic region, has been re- are subtle. The male of N. taiwanella has the valvar vised by Nielsen (1985). Only three species have been pectinifer with a higher (32-34) number of pegs, a reported from South-Eastern Asia: N. dorsiguttella relatively wider uncus with straight lateral margins, (Erschoff) is distributed across Siberia to Japan, Korea, an aedeagus with only one apical cornutus, and a jux- and Northern China; N. distincta Yasuda is found in ta with pointed arrow-head; the female has a narrow- Japan and Korea, and N. chalcophyllis (Meyrick) is er tergite VIII. From N. distincta (Yasuda, 1957) the known from the type locality (China, Zhejiang) only male of the new species differs by the presence of a (Nielsen 1985, Kozlov 1997). None of Nematopogon few pegs at the bend of the ventral valvar margin, by species was reported from Taiwan (Heppner 1992), a valvar flap with a rounded tip; the female differs by until the Hungarian lepidopterist Csaba Szabóky col- tergite VIII with straight hind margin. lected two specimens of the new species in the high- lands of Taiwan in 1997. Description Male (fig. 1). – Forewing length 10.3 mm, width 3.0 mm; wing expanse 21 mm. Frons bright white, Nematopogon taiwanella sp. n. vertex pale yellowish brown. Proboscis dark brown, (figs. 1-7) base sparsely covered with white scales. Labial palpus Type material. – Holotype (: Taiwan, Prov. Nan- snow-white. Antenna 2.5ϫ forewing length; scapus tou, 5 km SW of Tayuling (24° 09’ N, 121° 17’ E), and flagellum uniformly pale yellowish brown, except 2900 m, 26.V.1997, leg. Csaba Szabóky. – Paratype: for medial sides of both scapus and 5-10 basal flagel- 1&, labelled as holotype. The type specimens are de- lar segments which are white. Tegula yellowish posited in the Hungarian Museum of Natural Histo- brown; thorax (dorsum) brown. Forewing pale yel- ry, Budapest. lowish brown, slightly darker at costal margin; nei- ther reticulate pattern nor any spot are distinct. Diagnosis Hindwing pale light yellowish grey, almost transpar- N. taiwanella sp. n. differs from the closely related ent. Legs brown to pale yellowish; hind tibia with N. chalcophyllis (Meyrick, 1935) primarily in genital sparse prominent white hairs. Epiphysis at 0.4 of fore 41 Downloaded from Brill.com09/28/2021 05:53:17AM via free access T E, 144, 2001 Fig.. 1. Nematopogon taiwanella, male holotype tibia, not reaching its tip. Abdomen yellowish brown. most straight; anterior half weakly sclerotized; medial Female. – Forewing length 9.0 mm, width 2.7; keel weak; vestibulum with well developed sclerotiza- wing expanse 18 mm. Antenna >1.5ϫ forewing tion. length (tip broken). Otherwise similar to male. Male genitalia (figs. 2-6). – Genitalia preparations Biology were investigated and figured as described by Kozlov The forest area above Tayuling is a rather open, (1993). Uncus broader than long, apex slightly emar- very old Abies kawakamii - Tsuga chinensis conifer ginate, lateral margins almost straight; width of uncus woodland, with shrubby Rhododendron bushes and exceeding width of proximal part of vinculum. Socii patches of pygmy bamboo. Herbaceous plants are almost spherical. Vinculum with slightly concave lat- scattered on the more open rocky surfaces and walls eral margins, tip rounded. Length of valva c. 0.75ϫ (L. Ronkay pers. comm.). Moths were collected with length of vinculum. Valva subtriangular, proximal a light-trap. part very broad, ventral margin bent in the middle, with a few pegs at bend; apex of valva narrowly Taxonomic position rounded. Unstalked pectinifer (c. 0.25ϫ length of N. taiwanella along with N. chalcophyllis and N. valva) bears 32-34 pegs. Transtilla with straight mid- distincta forms a monophyletic group defined by the dle portion and narrow, long sublateral processes. following (presumably apomorphic) characters: (1) Length of aedeagus c. 0.85ϫ length of vinculum; base valva with a flap from the distal end of dorsal margin; of aedeagus swollen; tip with prominent ventrolater- (2) tip of aedeagus with large prominent cornutus; (3) ally directed cornutus arising from wide extension of vestibulum with well developed sclerotization. In this the ventral wall of the aedeagus. Juxta c. 0.75ϫ length group, N. chalcophyllus and N. distincta share the fol- of aedeagus; arrow-head of juxta narrow (width (0.45 lowing (presumably apomorphic) character: (4) valva x length), tip of arrow-head pointed. with a cluster of pegs on bend of ventral margin. Female genitalia (fig. 7). – Apophyses posteriores The following keys are constructed as modifica- and anteriores of nearly equal length. Tergite VIII rel- tions to the keys by Nielsen (1985); where additional atively narrow, 3.6ϫ as long as wide; hind margin al- couplets received an ‘a’ number. 42 Downloaded from Brill.com09/28/2021 05:53:17AM via free access K: Nematopogon taiwanella sp.n. 7 4 2 6 3 5 Figs. 2-7. Nematopogon taiwanella, genitalia (2-6, male; 7, female). – 2, Genital complex, ventral view (right valva not shown); 3, ditto, lateral view; 4, juxta; 5, aedeagus, ventral view; 6, aedeagus, lateral view; 7, tergite VIII and apophyses posteriores; scales 0.25 mm. 43 Downloaded from Brill.com09/28/2021 05:53:17AM via free access T E, 144, 2001 Keys to species of distincta species group based on ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS male genitalia 3. Tip of flap rounded; valva with a cluster of pegs The financial support of the Academy of Finland on bend of ventral margin ..............................3a and Hungarian Academy of Sciences for a two-week – Tip of flap pointed; valva without a cluster of research visit to Hungarian Museum of Natural His- pegs on bend of ventral margin ..............distincta tory is gratefully acknowledged. I would like to thank 3a. Pectinifer with fewer than 30 pegs; uncus with Csaba Szabóky for the permission to study his collec- convex lateral margins; aedeagus with two cornu- tion, Lazslo Ronkay for providing habitat description tii; juxta with wide round arrow-head ................. and help during my stay in Budapest, and Erik van .........................................................chalcophyllis Nieukerken for helpful comments and suggestions to – Pectinifer with more than 30 pegs; uncus with an earlier draft of the manuscript. straight lateral margins; aedeagus with only one apical cornutus; juxta with pointed arrow-head .. REFERENCES ............................................................taiwanella Heppner, J. B., 1992. Adelidae. – In: J. B. Heppner & H. Keys to species of distincta species group based on Inoue (eds.), Lepidoptera of Taiwan. – Association for female genitalia Tropical Lepidoptera Sci. Publ., Gainesville, Florida : 63. Kozlov, M. V., 1993. New species of Cauchas Zeller (Lepi- 2. Posterior part of sternite VIII strongly sclerotized doptera: Adelidae) from the Altai and Tianshan Moun- .......................................................................2a tains. – Nota lepidopterologica 16: 113-123. – Entire sternite VIII membranous ...........distincta Kozlov, M. V., 1997. Family Adelidae. – In: V. S. 2a. Tergite VIII relatively narrow, 3.6x as long as Kononenko (ed.), Key to the Insects of Russian Far East, wide; hind margin almost straight ......taiwanella 5. Trichoptera and Lepidoptera, pt. 1. Dalnauka, Vladi- vostok: 374-289 (in Russian). – Tergite VIII relatively wide, 2.5x as long as wide; Nielsen, E. S., 1985. A taxonomic review of the adelid genus hind margin with prominent medial lobe ........... Nematopogon Zeller (Lepidoptera, Incurvarioidea). – En- .........................................................chalcophyllis tomologica Scandinavica, Supplement 25: 1-66. Received: 15 May 2000 Accepted: 10 October 2000 44 Downloaded from Brill.com09/28/2021 05:53:17AM via free access.