Nokona actinidiae Yang & Wang 1989, comb. nov.

Nokona actinidiae (Yang & Wang, 1989) comb. nov.

(Figs 13–18, 34, 41)

Material examined. 2♂, Prov. Guangdong, Shaoguang, Nanling, 1100 m, 8.VIII.2007 (NSMT); 26♂, same locality, 22.–25.VI.2008 (NSMT); 15♂, same locality, 900 m, 28.–30.VII.2008 (NSMT); 38♂, same locality, 900 m, 10.–14.VII.2010 (NSMT); 16♂, 1♀, same data, 900–1000 m, 10.–14.VII.2010 (♀ (Fig. 15), ♂ (Fig. 13), ♂, Gen. Prep. AK717, CAK); same data, 2.–6.VII.2012 (3♂, CAK); 3♂, same locality, 800 m, 2.–6.VII.2012 (CAK); 1♀, same locality, 8.IX.2005, on flowers of Patrinia sp. (NSMT, Fig. 16); 1♀, same data, 600 m, 14.VII. 2013 (Fig. 18); 7♂, same locality, 600 m, 2.–6.VII.2012 (CAK); 2♂, 1♀, same locality [without altitude information], 23.VII.2005 (♀, Gen. Prep. AK743), 2.VI.2008, 25.VI.2008 (SCAU); 2♂, Prov. Guangdong, Yingde, Shimentai, 500 m, 10.VI.2010 (NSMT, CAK); 2♂, 1♀, Prov. Guangdong, Lianzhou, Dadongshan, 650 m, 16.–17.V.2010, 30.V.2010 (♀, Fig. 17), 16.V.2012 (♂, Fig. 14) (CAK); 5♂, same locality, 20.–22.V.2013 (NSMT); 3♂, Prov. Hunan, Changsha, Liuyang, Daweishan, 360 m, 30.VII.2011 (NSMT); 7♂, same locality, 7.VIII.2012 (NSMT).

Redescription. Male. Wingspan 33–37 mm, typically 34–36 mm; forewing length 14–16 mm; body length 18–22 mm. Most body parts black with a bluish tinge. Head: frons white laterally; labial palps yellow ventrally; pericephalic scales black, mixed with yellow dorsally, white ventrally. Thorax: with large yellow patch beneath the wings; fore coxa yellow medially, mid coxa with few yellow scales medially; hind coxa yellow; mid tibia with a yellow patch laterally; hind tibia with white tufted scales medially; fore tarsus with some yellow scales; first tarsomer of hind tarsus yellow medially. Forewing: with small remnant transparent area basally; cell less densely scaled towards costal margin; ventral side with orange red scales in basal 2/3. Hindwing: transparent, often with a smoky appearance, with broad black outer margin. Abdomen: tergite 2 with narrow, tergite 4 with broad deep yellow distal margin; sternite 4 with narrow yellow distal margin; anal tuft triangular, divided into two tufts of hairlike scales, with some white scales between both sides, ventrally with yellow margins. Female. Similar in size and coloration to the male; labial palps shorter scaled, appearing slimmer; white scales at the hind tibia less extensive; forewing cell with more distinct transparent to semitransparent streaks in anterior and posterior section; basal part of forewing loosely covered with indistinct dirty orange scales; outer margin of hindwing narrower; yellow band on tergite 4 wider; central part of anal tuft yellow, whitish towards base.

Variability. Males have hindwings sometimes without smoky appearance of the transparent area and the outer margin of the hindwings may be more or less wide. Some specimens show reduced yellow markings on the abdomen or lack any yellow bands (Fig. 14). Females show a considerable degree of variability, with more or less pronounced bluish iridescent scales on the forewings, narrower or wider yellow bands on their abdomens and with or without yellow in the anal tuft. It is, however, possible that not all females figured (Figs 15–18) belong to N. actinidiae. The female in Fig. 18 is here tentatively associated with N. actinidiae. It lacks most of the yellow scales of the anal tuft and appears to have narrower discal spots and outer margins of the hindwings. It may represent an extreme form of N. actinidiae or a related taxon.

Genitalia. Male (Gen. prep. AK717, Fig. 34). Valva broad, blunt ending, without central line of setae; handshaped setae with 7–10 finger-like projections; gnathos with two relatively broad and blunt knobs; saccus long; uncus strongly arched, tip strong, somewhat bent to dorsad; phallus short and broad, with a somewhat pointed tip, with a subapical tooth on one side and a small subapical ridge bearing two very small teeth on the other side. Female (Gen. prep. AK743, Fig. 40). Apophyses relatively short and weak; ductus long; corpus bursae ovoid, with a long and straight, zip-like sclerotized structure running most of the length; ductus seminalis long and narrow; ostium deeply seated, goblet-like; antrum a narrow sclerotized ring.

Biology. According to the original description and a subsequent paper, larvae of N. actinidiae tunnel in vines of kiwi (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidiaceae) (Yang & Wang 1989, Zhang 1991). This plant was present in most locations where the specimens for this study were collected. Males were collected at pheromones, mainly from late morning to early afternoon. One female was collected on the flowers of Patrinia sp.

Distribution. Currently known from south-eastern China. Similar specimens have also been collected in northern Vietnam (unpublished).

Remarks. The type material of this species was not figured in the original description and could not be examined by us. However, the description and the figure of the genitalia suggest that the material at hand was correctly associated with this taxon.