Miltochrista ochracea ( Hampson, 1891 )

Volynkin, Anton V. & Huang, Si-Yao, 2022, On the taxonomy of the genus Miltochrista Hübner with descriptions of five new species from India and China and notes on the genus Arctelene Kirti & Gill (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 58, pp. 86-108 : 88-89

Miltochrista ochracea ( Hampson, 1891) , stat. n.

( Figs 3–6 , 44 , 60 )

Lyclene ochracea Hampson, 1891 , Illustrations of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the collection of the British Museum, 8: 51, pl. 139, fig. 26 (Type locality: “the Nilgiri District of Southern India... The plateau, 6700 feet ” ( Hampson 1891: Preface and page 5)).

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated) ( Fig. 3 ): male, “Nilgiris. | Hampson Coll. | 89- 129” / “ Lyclene | ochracea | Hampson | type ♂ ” / “869. | 73” / red ring “Type” label / QR- code label with unique number “ NHMUK010598190 ” ( NHMUK) . Paralectotype: female, “Nilgiris. | Hampson Coll. | 89- 129” / “ Lyclene | ochracea | Hampson | type ♀ ” / “869. | 73” / red ring “Type” label / QR- code label with unique number “ NHMUK010598191 ” ( NHMUK) .

Additional material examined. INDIA: TAMIL NADU: 1 male, Nilgiris / Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1, unique number: NHMUK014173073 ( NHMUK) ; 1 female, [ Tiruchirappalli ] Indes Orient., Trichinopolu, R . P.J. Castets / Ex Oberthür Coll. Brit. Mus. 1927-3, unique number: NHMUK014173074 ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Nilgiri Hills, Doda Betta , 10 km W Kotagiri, 2100m, 11°26'N, 76°50'E, 17.IV.1997, Sinyaev & Schintlmeister leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1076 (prepared by Volynkin) .

Notes. (1) The species is hereby revived from the synonymy with Arctelene rubricosa , comb. n. (2) Hampson (1891) described the species from both sexes. In order to stabilise the nomenclature, we hereby designate the male syntype labeled as “Type” and preserved in the NHMUK collection as lectotype.

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10–11 mm in males and 10 mm in females. Miltochrista ochracea is reminiscent of M. hogani sp. n., M. curvifascia , and species of the M. pseudoarcuata N. Singh & Kirti, 2016 – M. paraarcuata N. Singh & Kirti, 2016 species pair (illustrated by Kirti & Singh 2016) and the genus Arctelene but can be recognised by the relatively short and broad forewing with ochreous-yellow ground colour. The male and female genitalia structures of M. ochracea are similar to M. miraculosa sp. n., the detailed comparison is provided above in the diagnosis of the latter species.

Distribution. South India (Tamil Nadu).

Figures

Figures 1–12. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1, 2, and 4 in MWM/ZSM; 3, 5–10 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 11 and 12 in OUMNH.

Figures 43–46. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 43 and 44 in MWM/ZSM; 45 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 46 in OUMNH.

Figures 59–62. Miltochrista spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 59 in MWM/ZSM; 60 and 61 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 62 in OUMNH.