Miltochrista Hübner, [1819]

Singh, Navneet, Volynkin, Anton V., Kirti, Jagbir Singh & Datta, Harvinder Singh, 2020, Miltochrista jarawa (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), a new species from the Andaman Islands, India, Zootaxa 4895 (3), pp. 445-450 : 445-446

Genus Miltochrista Hübner, [1819]

Hübner, [1819], Verzeichniss bekannter Schmettlinge 1819: 166.

Type species: Noctua rubicunda [Denis & Schiffermüller] (a junior subjective synonym of Phalaena miniata Forster ).

Remark. Holloway (2001) considered Miltochrista as a compact genus comprising only the taxa closely related to the type species, while most of the other species were assigned by him with the genus Lyclene Moore [1860] which, however, displays no fundamental genital differences from Miltochrista . Kirti & Singh (2016) synonymized Lyclene with Miltochrista , and subsequently Volynkin et al. (2018) considered Miltochrista sensu stricto as the M. miniata speciesgroup and provided its checklist.

Diagnosis. Species of the genus are very different in their coloration and forewing markings. In some groups the sexual dimorphism is well expressed while in others it is very limited. However, the male genitalia ground plan of vari-ous species-groups is quite uniform. The male genital capsule of Miltochrista is characterized by the combination of the following features: (1) the valva lacks a medial costal process; (2) the costa protrudes to the cucullus; (3) the distal costal process is usually present, but is absent in certain groups; (4) the distal saccular process is present. The vesica of the genus bears several robust cornuti or bunches or clusters of spines. The female genitalia are characterized by the dorso-ventrally flattened and sclerotized ductus bursae and the spinulose scobinated corpus bursae bearing clusters of robust spines or sclerotized plates of various shape.

Distribution. The genus is widespread in the Oriental and eastern Palaearctic Regions.