Miltochrista velona, Volynkin & Saldaitis & Müller, 2022

Volynkin, Anton V., Saldaitis, Aidas & Müller, Günter C., 2022, Five new species of the genus Miltochrista Hübner from Indochina, India and China (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Ecologica Montenegrina 59, pp. 10-23 : 15-19

Miltochrista velona sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:89C5FC31-415A-4E52-BC32-857A8014C8D4

( Figs 9–11 , 29, 30 , 42 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 9 , 29 ): male, “ Myanmar, Chin State | Mount Victoria , 2200–2500m | montane pine forest | mid–late October 2012 | Dr. V. Kravchenko & team leg.” / “Slide | AV6864 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ).

Paratypes. MYANMAR: 1 male, 1 female, the same data as in the holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: AV6862 (male) and AV6865 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ( GMF-B) ; CHINA: 1 male, E Sichuan, 30 km SE from Ping Wu , 1420m, N32°20.725'' E104°36.650'', 7.VIII.2016, Floriani & Saldaitis leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6909 (prepared by Volynkin) ( AFM) ; VIETNAM: 1 male, 1600m, Mt. Fan-si-pan (North), Cha-pa, primary forest, 22°17'N, 103°44''E, V. Sinyaev & A. Schintlmeister leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 285/2017 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 9.5–10.5 mm in males and 9.5 mm in the female. Miltochrista velona is externally very similar to the Indian M. neoseriata and M. paraseriata , and the sympatric M. pachia , and reliable identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genitalia of the new species are most similar to the externally dissimilar Miltochrista parallelinaformis Bucsek, 2020 ( Figs 12 , 31 ) recently described from Laos ( Bucsek 2020) but distinguished by the broader valva with a markedly larger medial dorsal protrusion of the costa (the dorsal margin is only slightly medially convex in the congener), and the longer distal costal process bearing a markedly longer needle-like tip. The male genital capsule of M. velona is also reminiscent of the Andaman Miltochrista phantasma (Hampson, 1907) ( Figs 15, 16 ) and the Sundanian Miltochrista acutiseriata ( Holloway, 2001) ( Figs 17–20 ) but distinguished from the former species ( Fig. 32 ) by the laterally flattened and proximally slender uncus (it is dorso-ventrally flattened and strongly proximally dilated in M. phantasma ), the markedly larger medial dorsal protrusion of the costa (the dorsal margin is only slightly medially convex in the congener), and the shorter distal saccular process. The phallus of M. velona is narrower than in M. phantasma . The vesica of M. velona is shorter than in M. phantasma and bearing a markedly shorter and narrower distal cornutus. Compared to M. acutiseriata ( Fig. 33 ), the male genitalia of M. velona have a laterally flattened and proximally slender uncus (it is dorso-ventrally flattened and slightly proximally dilated in M. acutiseriata ), a broader valva with a markedly larger medial dorsal protrusion of the costa (in M. acutiseriata , the dorsal margin is only slightly medially convex), a thicker distal costal process, a shorter and basally broader distal saccular process, and a lateral cornutus positioned on the main chamber whereas in M. acutiseriata , the second cornutus is terminating the elongate and distally directed dorsal diverticulum. Since the females of M. parallelinaformis and M. phantasma are unknown, the female genitalia of M. velona were compared only with M. acutiseriata ( Fig. 43 ), from which the new species differs in the markedly longer and less anteriorly tapered antrum with a deeper medial ventral incision of the ostium bursae, the corpus bursae with a shorter posterior cluster consisting of smaller spines, and the larger sclerotised lateral protrusion of the corpus bursae anteriorly edged with a cluster of markedly larger spines. Additionally, the lateral pockets of the 7 th abdominal sternite of M. velona are markedly broader and longer than in M. acutiseriata .

Distribution. The new species is known from north-western Myanmar (Chin State), South-Western China (Sichuan), and Northern Vietnam (Lào Cai Province).

Etymology. The specific epithet originates from the Greek ‘βελόνα’ meaning ‘a needle’ and refers to the needle-like tip of the distal costal process. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 9–16. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 9 and 13 in WIGJ; 10 and 14 in GMF-B; 11 in MWM/ZSM; 12 in SNM (after Bucsek 2020); 15 and 16 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 29–32. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 29 in WIGJ; 30 in MWM/ZSM; 31 in SNM (after Bucsek 2020); 32 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 39–42. Miltochrista spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 39 in GMF-B; 40 in CKC; 41 in MWM/ZSM; 42 in GMF-B.

Figures 17–24. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 17 and 18 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 19 and 20 in CKC; 21, 22 and 24 in MWM/ZSM; 23 in GMF-B.

Figures 33–35. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 33 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 34 in WIGJ; 35 in GMF-B.

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