Miltochrista swanni, Volynkin & Černý & Huang & Saldaitis, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V, Černý, Karel, Huang, Si-Yao & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2023, Thirteen new species of the genus Miltochrista Hübner from Indochina, China, Myanmar and India (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 68, pp. 12-37 : 18

Miltochrista swanni sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EF7C6F48-98C7-423D-BCE7-6ABB5148C9D1

( Figs 29 , 68 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 29 , 68 ): male, [N Myanmar, Kachin State, Myitkyina District ] “Upper Burma: | Htawgaw. | 6000 ft. | Capt. A.E.Swann. ” / “Brit. Mus. | 1923–488.” / QR-code label with unique ID “ NHMUK010292583 ” / “Slide | NHMUK0104331721 ” ( NHMUK).

Paratype. MYANMAR: 1 male, Upper Burma , Blackrock, Capt. A.E. Swann / Brit. Mus. 1923–488 / unique ID: NHMUK010292584 ( NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 1.5 mm in males. Miltochrista swanni sp. n. ( Fig. 29 ) is externally reminiscent of the Indian M. neoseriata N. Singh & Kirti, 2016 ( Fig. 33 ) and the identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures, which are substantially different in the two species ( Figs 68 , 71 ). The male genital capsule of M. swanni sp. n. ( Fig. 68 ) is most similar to another, externally quite dissimilar Indian species, M. aureata ( Figs 24 , 69 ) but can be distinguished by the longer and broader uncus, the broader valva with a more prominent and more distally situated dorsal protrusion of the costa, a narrower distal membranous lobe, and the basally broader and apically pointed distal saccular process, which is apically rounded in the congener. The phallus of M. swanni sp. n. is considerably longer and broader than in M. aureata . The vesica configuration of the new species is substantially different from M. aureata due to the narrow main chamber, the well-developed lateral diverticulum and the long lateral cornutus, and is more similar to M. neoseriata , from which, however, the new species differs in the broader main chamber, the longer lateral diverticulum, the longer lateral cornutus, the shorter distal cornutus, and the shorter and conical apical diverticulum, which is semiglobular in the congener.

The female is unknown.

Distribution. Northern Myanmar (Kachin State).

Etymology. The species is named after Captain Arthur E. Swann, who collected not only the type series of the new species but numerous other Heterocera in northern Myanmar in 1921–1923. The name is a noun in the genitive case in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

Figures 27–38. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 27 and 28 in CKC; 29 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 30–33, 35, 37 and 38 in MWM/ZSM; 34 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 36 in OUMNH.

Figures 66–69. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 66 in CKC; 67 in MWM/ZSM; 68 and 69 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 70–73. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 70, 71 and 73 in MWM/ZSM; 72 in WIGJ (ex CAV).

Figures 16–26. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 16 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 17 in CAV; 18 and 19 in CKC; 20–22, 25 and 26 in MWM/ZSM; 23 in GMF-B; 24 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).