Nephelomilta effracta (Walker, 1854) Volynkin & Černý, 2018

Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2018, Revision of the genus Nephelomilta Hampson, 1900, with descriptions of twelve new species and two new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4472 (3), pp. 401-451 : 412-413

Nephelomilta effracta (Walker, 1854) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 25–28 , 96, 97 , 132 )

Barsine effracta WALKeR, 1854, List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 2: 546 (Type LOCALITy: [NepAL] "NepAUL"]).

Type material examined. Holotype ( Fig. 28 ): ♀ without abdomen, “Nepal” (handwritten) / “2. BARSINE EFFRACTA ” (printed) / “Hardwicke Bequest” (printed) / round printed label with a green circle “Type” / printed label with QR-code NHMUK010597960” (Coll. NHMUK).

Other material examined. NEPAL: 16 ♂, 3 ♀, Nepal, Annapurna Himal , Geirigan village , 1340 m, 83°45´E, 28°20´N, 25.VI.1996, leg. Gy. M . László & G. Ronkay, slides MWM 31655 (♂), MWM 31660 (♂), MWM 31656 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 11 ♂, 2 ♀, Nepal, Annapurna Himal, valley of Kali Gandaki, 1300 m, near Tatopani , 83°39'E, 28°29'N, 03.VI.1996, leg. Gy. M . László & G. Ronkay, slides MWM 31657 (♂), MWM 31658 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 1 ♂, Nepal, Annapurna Himal, 1200 m, 8 km SW of Tatopani , 83´37´´E, 28´27´´N, 25.VI.1996, leg. Hreblay & Szaboky, slide MWM 31659 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, East Nepal, Milke Danda, Nesum , 1500 m, 21.VIII.2000, leg. Csóvari & Hreblay, slide MWM 31662 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, Nepal, 1850 m, Mt. Kalinchok, 8 km E of Barabise , 5.VII.1997, leg. M. Hreblay & K. Csak (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 2 ♂, Nepal, Annapurna Himal, 1200 m, 8 km SW of Tatopani , 83´37´´E, 28´27´´N, 25.VI.1996, leg. Hreblay & Szaboky (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, same locality, but 31.VIII.1996, leg. Chenga Sherpa (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, Nepal, Kathmandu , 1235 m, 14–15.IX.1994, leg. Márton Hreblay & Tibor Csõvari (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, same locality and collectors, but 25–27.IX.1994 (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 2 ♂, East Nepal, Milke Danda, Nesum , 1500 m, 21.VIII.2000, leg. Csővari & Hreblay (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, Nepal, Annapurna Himal, 1200 m, 1 km N of Syange , 84´25´´E, 28´24´´N, 07.VI.1996, leg. Hreblay & Szaboky (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, Nepal: 1570 m, Godavari , 20.VII. [19]80, Lt. Col. M.G. Allen / Allen Coll . BMNH 1983-254 , slide NHMUK010313525 Volynkin ( Coll. NHMUK); INDIA: 1 ♂, NE India, Assam, Nameri Nat. Park, 40 km N Tezpur, 150 m, 27°20'N, 93°15'E, 24.VII.–2.VIII.1997, leg. Sinjaev & Murzin, slide MWM 34450 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, [NE India, Meghalaya] Khasis , IX.1895, Nat. Coll., slide BMNH (E) Arct-6554 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK).

Remark. Long time N. sumatrana effractoida ssp. nov . was erroneously considered by authors as N. effracta . Unfortunately, the female holotype of N. effracta is damaged and has no abdomen. Nevertheless, the correct treatment of the species is possible because of its external differences from N. sumatrana effractoida ssp. nov . and the second externally similar species, N. gulmargensis , which is also distributed in Nepal and has the similar size and the forewing red pattern: in the female of N. effracta the medial line is strongly loop-like curved in the cell, whereas in the females of both N. gulmargensis and N. sumatrana effractoida ssp. nov . the medial line is more smoothly, arcuate curved in the cell. In addition, N. sumatrana effractoida ssp. nov . is not found in Nepal, while N. effracta is the most widespread species of the genus in this country.

Diagnosis. Forewing length 11–11.5 mm in males and 12–13.5 mm in females. The species is most similar externally to N. gulmargensis , N. klapperichi and N. sumatrana effractoida ssp. nov ., but males can be distinguished from those of N. gulmargensis and N. klapperichi by the slightly broader posterior section of the medial line, and the smaller discal spots of the forewing; from those of N. sumatrana effractoida ssp. nov . they can be separated only by the genitalia structure; the females differ from those of N. gulmargensis , N. sumatrana effractoida ssp. nov . and N. klapperichi in the medial line strongly loop-like curved in the cell. In many cases a reliable identification is possible only by the genitalia structure. The male genitalia of N. effracta are very similar to those of N. pseudoeffracta , and differ only in the larger apical lobes of the juxta, the slightly broader valve, the slightly more developed medial costal angle, and the larger spikes on the aedeagus carina. The female genitalia of N. effracta differ from those of N. pseudoeffracta more significantly and can be separated by the slightly broader antevaginal plate, the more robust spines in the medial cluster of the corpus bursae, and the significantly larger signum.

Distribution. Nepal and North-East India (Assam, Meghalaya).

Figures

FIGURES 25–36. Nephelomilta Spp.: ADULTS. 25, N. effracta, ♂, Nepal (MWM/ZSM); 26, N. effracta, ♀, Nepal (MWM/ZSM); 27, N. effracta, ♂, NE India (©NHMUK); 28, N. effracta, holotype ♀, Nepal (©NHMUK); 29, N. wolfgangspeideli, hOLOType ♂, S Vietnam (©NHMUK); 30, N. pseudoeffracta, ♂, NE India (©NHMUK); 31, N. pseudoeffracta, ♀, NE India (©NHMUK); 32, N. pseudoeffracta, holotype ♀, NE India (PUDZES, photo by N. Singh); 33, N. pseudoeffracta, ♀, NE India (©NHMUK); 34, N. klapperichi, holotype ♂, China, Fujiang (ZFMK); 35, N. klapperichi, ♂, SE Laos (MWM/ZSM); 36, N. klapperichi, ♂, N ThAILAND (CKC).

FIGURES 96–98. Nephelomilta Spp.: mALe geNITALIA. 96, N. effracta, NepAL, SLIDe MWM 31660 VOLyNKIN; 97, N. effracta, NE INDIA, SLIDe MWM 34450 VOLyNKIN; 98, N. pseudoeffracta, NE INDIA, SLIDe BMNH(E) ARCT-6544 VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK).

FIGURES 126–133. Nephelomilta Spp.: femALe geNITALIA. 126, N. suffusa, S INDIA, SLIDe BMNH(E) ARCT-6558 VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK); 127, N. sumatrana sumatrana, SUmATRA, SLIDe AV4154 VOLyNKIN; 128, N. s. sumatrana, MALAy PeNINSULA, SLIDe MWM 31645 VOLyNKIN; 129, N. s. effractoida, pARAType, NE INDIA, SLIDe ZSM ARCT. 36/2017 VOLyNKIN; 130, N. s. effractoida, pARAType, SW ThAILAND, SLIDe AV2848 VOLyNKIN; 131, N. gulmargensis, NE INDIA, SLIDe ZSM ARCT. 34/2017 VOLyNKIN; 132, N. effracta, NepAL, SLIDe MWM 31656 VOLyNKIN; 133, N. pseudoeffracta, NE INDIA, SLIDe VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK).