Some species of the subfamily Myrmecozelinae of the family Tineidae, especially the genus Anemallota, Ippa, and Myrmecozela have been reported to be related to Hymenopterans (Chrétien, 1905;Zagulyaev, 1975). The larvae of these moths feed on byproducts from the nests of Hymenopterans, such as grains, dead tissues of plants, and dead insect bodies (Narukawa et al., 2002).

The genus Ippa, which belongs to the subfamily Myrmecozelinae, is represented by the type species Ippa vacivellaWalker, 1864. 25 species of this genus have been recognized globally so far (Robinson et al., 1994), and are widely distributed throughout the Oriental and the Ethiopian regions. On the other hand, there are relatively few records in the Palaearctic region, only one species, Ippa conspersa was reported from Japan. In this study, the genus IppaWalker, 1864 is reported for the first time from Korea, with a species I. conspersa (Matsumura, 1931). Photographs of adults, immature stages, and the genitalia, are provided.

Materials and Methods

Voucher specimens of this study are deposited in the Bio- Resource and Environmental Center, Incheon National University, Korea.

The specimens were collected from the two sites in Gyeonggi province: Mt. Cheonggye, Geumto-dong, Seongnam-si; Mt. Gwanggyo, Hagwanggyo-dong, Suwon-si. We collected larvae near the ant nests and they were moving along the trail of the ant workers. We reared the larvae that we collected to examine the adult moths in the laboratory environment as well. Mealworms, breads, and biscuits were provided as food sources.

Genitalia were dissected and examined under Leica EZ4 stereo-microscope (Leica, Wetzlar, Germany). Images of adults and genitalia were taken using a Canon EOS 50D digital camera attached to a Canon EF 100 mm F2.8 Macro USM lens (Canon, Inc., Tokyo, Japan), and Leica DM 2500 microscope attached with Leica ICC50 E (Leica, Wetzlar, Germany).

Terminology and morphological characters of the adult, wing venation, and genitalia followed Robinson (1976), Common (1987), Robinson and Nielsen (1993).

Abbreviations used herein are as follows: INU: Incheon National University; TS: Type Species; TL: Type Locality.

Taxonomic Accounts

Family Tineidae Latreille, 1810 곡식좀나방과

Subfamily Myrmecozelinae, Căpuşe, 1968 개미살이좀나방 아과(신칭)

Genus IppaWalker, 1864

IppaWalker, 1864: 781. TS: Ippa vacivellaWalker, 1864. TL: India (North Hindustan).

GapharaWalker, 1864: 274 (preoccupied GapharaWalker, 1862: 96). TS: Gaphara recitatellaWalker, 1864. TL: Sri Lanka.

OlychaSnellen, 1903: 29. TS: Olycha grossepunctellaSnellen, 1903. TL: Indonesia (West Java).

PachypsaltisMeyrick, 1914: 60. TS: Pachypsaltis insolensMeyrick, 1914. TL: Taiwan.

HypophrictisMeyrick, 1916: 605. TS: Hyprophrictis inceptrixMeyrick, 1916. TL: Sri Lanka.

ProsplocamisMeyrick, 1919: 256. TS: Melasina apractaMeyrick, 1919. TL: Myanmar (Mandalay).

General morphology. Adults are generally medium to large sized (wingspan 15 - 25 mm). Head covered with brown colored scales in most species. Forewing usually unicolorous brown; venation complete, R3 and R4 stalked, M3 and CuA1 stalked, CuA2 missing in some species (Fig. 1A). Hindwing unicolored; venation complete. Male genitalia are characterized by the following characters; uncus lobes with elongate socii; tegumen and vinculum not differentiated, a narrow ring, tegumen elongated dorsally; gnathos present; valva broad, elongate, forming ventral spine; saccus longer than width; aedeagus slightly curved. Female genitalia are characterized by the following characters; segment eight, slightly sclerotized, articulated with apophyses anteriores; ostium narrow funnel-shaped; ductus bursae not sclerotized; corpus bursae ovate, without signum (Gozmány and Vári, 1973).

Ippa conspersa (Walker, 1864) 개미살이좀나방(신칭)

Depressaria conspersaMatsumura, 1931: 1089. TL: Japan.

Hypophrictis capnomictaMeyrick, 1934: 481. TL: Japan.

Adult. (Fig. 1) Wingspan 15 - 20 mm. Head with grayishbrown, hair-like scales on vertex and frons. Labial palpus upward, covered with grayish-brown scales. Antenna filiform; scape grayish-brown; each segment grayish-brown. Maxillary palpus covered with grayish-brown scales. Thorax grayish-brown. Ground color of forewing grayish-brown, with spread dark brown patches; approximately 2.8 - 3.2 times as long as width including fringe (about 3.2 - 3.4 times as long as width excluding fringe). Ground color of hindwing brown; approximately 2 - 2.2 times as long as width including fringe (about 2.4 - 2.5 times as long as width excluding fringe).

Male genitalia. (Fig. 2A) Uncus with elongate socii, slightly fused with tegumen. Tegumen with small tegumenal processes. Valva paddle shape, broadly expanded in basal half on ventral margin, with strong spine at middle of costa; about 4.5 times as long as length of saccus. Saccus short, and tapered to apex. Juxta well developed, sac-shaped. Aedeagus slightly curved, swollen at base, about six times as long as length of saccus.

Female genitalia. (Fig. 2B) Papillae anales developed, with 3 - pairs of setae. Ovipositor as long as apophyses anteriores. Apophyses posteriores aproximately 1.8 times as long as apophyses anteriores. 8^th segment slightly sclerotized. Antrum broad funnel-shaped. Ductus bursae short; approximately 0.3 times as long as length of apophyses anteriores. Corpus bursae sac-shaped, membranous, without signum.

Immature stage. (Fig. 3) Larvae live in a flattened 8-shaped portable silk case, which 8 - 15 mm long, and 3 - 5 mm width; length of larva 6 - 12 mm; head capsule dark brown; thorax creamy white, with dark brown pattern on edge, the pattern paler from first segment to third segment; abdomen creamy white. Pupation also, processed in the portable silk case, and comes out in an emergency.

Biology. This species can be found near the nests of the ants. According to Narukawa et al. (2002), four species (Lasius japonicus, Lasius fuliginosus, Lasius spathepus, and Pristomyrmex punctatus) of ants were known to be related to Ippa conspersa in Japan. The larvae of I. conspersa were able to survive by feeding on oats, nuts, and dried fruits without ants in the laboratory environment, but it seems they usually prey on the dead ant bodies and debris around the ant nests in the wild. In Korea, we have mainly collected this species from the nests of Lasius (Dendrolasius) spp. The individuals of the larvae around the entrance of nests were significantly more abundant compared with the inside of the nests.

Material examined. 5♂, 6♀, Mt. Cheonggye, Geumtodong, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16. VI. 2013 (K. K. Kim, N. H. Ahn, U. Y. Kang); 8♂, 7♀, Mt. Gwanggyo, Hagwanggyodong, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 28. IX. 2018 (D. J. Lee, M. Dong), genitalia slide no. INU-5663, 5664.

Distribution. Korea (Gyeonggi-do), Japan (Honshu).

Remarks. (Fig.s 4, 5) This species is recorded for the first time from Korea. We have observed the larvae of this moth preying on the dead ant bodies and dragging it into the portable silk case in the wild.