Nemophora solstitiella Walsingham 1900

Nemophora solstitiella (Walsingham in Walsingham & Durrant, 1900) (Figs. 50, 51, 99, 130, 160) Nemotois solstitiella: Walsingham 1900: 584. Holotype ♁: India, Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala (32 o 14' N, 76 o 24' E); labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo-│type’; 7 mm circle with red border, print ‘ Type │ H. T.’; 9 × 13 mm, black ink ‘ NEMOTOIS │ SOLSTITIELLA │ Wlsm │ TYPE ♁’; 9 × 14 mm, print ‘ Dharmsala │ PUNJAB │ 1879 │ Hocking’; 8 × 10 mm, print ‘ Walsingham │ Collection │ 1910–427’; 15 × 25 mm, wide black frame, print ‘TYPE’ (NHM) [examined]. Nemotois solstitiella: Meyrick 1912a: 7, 1912b: 9, 1924: 79. Nemotois solstitiellus: Meyrick 1907: 991 [incorrect subsequent spelling]. Nemophora solstitiellus: Das & Singh 2022: 265 [incorrect subsequent spelling]. Nemotois zonoreas: Meyrick 1924: 79, syn. nov. Holotype ♁: India, Jammu and Kashmir, Killanmarg (34 o 02' N, 74 o 21' E); labelled: 8 mm circle with red border, print ‘Holo-│type’; 5 × 10 mm, black ink ‘ Killanmarg │ Kashmir │ TBF[letcher] 10000'..4.[19]23’; 13 × 18 mm, black ink + print ‘ Nemotois │ zonoreas │ Meyr. 1/7 │ E. Meyrick det. │ in Meyrick Coll. ’; 6 × 13 mm, print ‘ Meyrick Coll. │ B. M. 1938–290’ (NHM) [examined]. Nemotois zonoreas: Meyrick 1933: 363; Clarke 1955: 331. Other material. India. 1 ♁, 1884 (Swinhoe). Himachal Pradesh. 4 ♁, Dharamshala, 1879 (Hocking); 6 ♁, Simla, v.1897 (CGN). Uttarakhand. 1 ♁, Kumaon, Mukteshwar, 2430 m, 26.iv.1923 (Fletcher). Jammu and Kashmir. 7 ♁ 1 ♀, Gulmarg, 2900 m, 12.–26.vi.1931 (Fletcher) (all in NHM); 1 ♁, ibid., 22.vi.1931 (Fletcher) (MINGA); 2 ♁, ibid., 12 & 26.vi.1931 (Fletcher) (USNM). China. Taiwan. 1 ♁, Nantou, Musha (between Puli and Wushe), 14.iii.1927 (Kato) (USNM). Pakistan. Punjab. 6 ♁ 3 ♀, Murree Hills, 2500 m, v.1920 (Fletcher) (NHM); 1 ♁, ibid., (USNM). Diagnosis. Nemophora solstitiella is similar to N. tancrei, from which it differs by the matt frons, longer PLB and larger interocular index, and superficially resembles N. amphimetalla (Fig. 45), from which it differs by the yellow longitudinal spot at the forewing base and longer PLB. From both these species N. solstitiella also differs by the deep incess on the ventral valvar margin, which clearly separates the narrow apical part of the valva from its wide base. Description. Male (Fig. 50). FWL 5.7–7.0 mm, WLR 0.29–0.36. Vertex and frons ochreous to light brown. PLB 1.3–1.6 × vertical eye diameter (2.9‒3.1 × length of scape), with long raised piliform scales, which usually (although not always) are pale yellow on internal side and light brown on external side of palpus. Proboscis light brown to dark brown. Eyes enlarged, but not touching each other; interocular index 0.9–1.0; occipital distance 0.1–0.2. Antenna 2.7–3.2 × FWL; pegs present. Scape and base of flagellum dark bronze, in some specimens ventrally with yellow scales; at the level of forewing fascia colour of flagellum in most of specimens gradually turns to white, although occasionally may remain dark bronze. Tegulae and thorax dark brown to black. Forewing (Fig. 99) brown, densely scattered with yellow scales (approximately 1: 1 to 2: 1); base dark brown, with longitudinal yellow stripe near costal margin reaching 0.1–0.2 × FWL; some specimens possess second (diffuse) yellow stripe located below costal stripe. Yellow (medial) band of fascia narrow (0.07–0.15 × FWL), its internal margin reaches costa at 0.5 × FWL. In some specimens this yellow band split into smaller yellow spot at costa and larger yellow spot at dorsum. Yellow band on both sides bordered by dark brown bands and then by bronze bands; the latter are almost indistinct in some specimens. Fringe coppery brown to brown. Hindwing from white, translucent, except for dark brown base (0.1–0.2 × wing length) and light brown apex, to entirely brown; costal area light brown to dark grey; fringe brown to white (along the dorsal margin in specimens with translucent hind wings). Legs dark brown to bronze; fore femur dorsolaterally yellow; fore tibia ventrally yellow; hind tibia distally light brown, with long light brown hairs; all tarsomeres yellow, with brown apical parts; extent of brown colour variable. Epiphysis at 0.6, reaching apex of tibia. Abdomen brown dorsally to bronze ventrally. Female (Fig. 51). FWL 5.1–6.8 mm. Head ochreous brown. Antenna 1.1–1.2 × FWL, basal 0.5 densely covered with appressed coppery brown scales; distal part of flagellum brown to light bronze. Hindwing always dark brown. Abdomen dark brown, distal margins of sternites yellow. Otherwise similar to male. Male genitalia (Figs. 130, 160). Tegumen dome-shaped, without medial ridge. Socii oval, 1.8‒2.2 × diameter of phallus. Vinculum 2.6–2.7 × length of valva, U-shaped, wide proximally (0.6 × width of distal part), with convex lateral margins; distal margin gently W-shaped. Tips of valvae at about same level as tip of tegumen. Basal part of valva (0.4 × valvar length) nearly twice as wide as apical part, with prominent indentation on ventral margin; dorsal valvar margin concave; tip of valva rounded. Valvae fused basally to 0.3 × total length; their internal margins distinct. Anellus 0.45 × length of valva. Transtilla with long narrow medial process. Juxta 0.65 × length of phallus; arrow head wide (WLR 0.65), with pointed tip and pointed lateral arms. Phallus 0.85 × length of vinculum, gently C-shaped, with two thin processes arising at 0.7 × length of phallus (counting from its base); base of phallus narrow; tip formed by a ventral wall, which is slightly flattened dorsoventrally. Distribution. India (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand), China (Taiwan), Pakistan. Comments. The species is variable in both colouration (Meyrick 1933) and wing venation (Meyrick 1907). The only difference of N. zonoreas from N. solstitiella, mentioned in the primary description (Meyrick 1924), is grey colour of a male hindwing. However, in European Nemophora species this character is extremely variable, and for example in N. minimella ([Denis & Schifferm̧ller], 1775) hidwing colour changes from almost white to dark brown. Biology. This species (identified from a photograph) was common in Kalatope Wildlife Sanctuary (Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh) at 2100 m elevation. Moths were active in daytime (11 a.m. ‒ 2 p. m.) on clearings next to a village surrounded by dense coniferous forest; they were mostly observed around Mentha spicata (A. Mahendroo, pers. comm.).

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