Miltochrista pudibunda ( Snellen, 1880 )

Volynkin, Anton V., Singh, Navneet, Černý, Karel & Joshi, Rahul, 2021, Taxonomic review of the Miltochrista pudibunda (Snellen) species-group (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4995 (3), pp. 551-564 : 553-556

Miltochrista pudibunda ( Snellen, 1880)

( Figs 1–10 , 21–24 , 32–34 )

Setina pudibunda Snellen, 1880 , Midden-Sumatra. Lepidoptera , 4 (8), 38, pl. 3, figs 16, 17 (Type locality: [ Indonesia, Sumatra] “ Goudmijn, Verbeek ”).

= Miltochrista irregularis Rothschild, 1913 , Novitates Zoologicae, 20, 215 (Type locality: [ China] “Youbai, Hainan ”), syn. nov.

Lyclene irregularis: Černý & Pinratana (2009) , Bucsek (2012), Bae et al. (2016).

Type material examined. Holotype (by monotypy) of Setina pudibunda ( Figs 1 , 32 ): female, “ Sumatra 30/3 [18]77 Origin” / “Museum Leiden Asura pudibunda Det. : Snell.” / “Museum Leiden A. pudibunda Det. : Sn.” / “Type” / blue stripe-shaped label / “Cat №1” / QR-code label with unique number “RMNH.INS 1148675”/ JDH 27 [gen. prep. No.: JDH 27 (prepared by Holloway)] ( RMNH); lectotype of Miltochrista irregularis (hereby designated) ( Fig. 3 ): female, “ Youboi [recte Youbai], Hainan, June 1904 ” / red label “ Miltochrista irregularis type Rothsch.” / “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1” / QR-code label with unique number “NHMUK010598419” ( NHMUK); paralectotype of Miltochrista irregularis ( Fig. 33 ): female, “Youboi [recte Youbai], Hainan, June 1904 ” / QR-code label with unique number “NHMUK010918606”, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010316349 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. CHINA: 3 males, Youbai , Hainan, June 1904 / QR-code label with unique numbers NHMUK010918605 (specimen dissected), gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010316348 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; VIETNAM: 5 males, Prov. Nghe An, Distr. Que Phong, Ban Khom , 280m, 19°40.5´N 104°54.1´E, 21–23.I.1999, G. Ronkay leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-991 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) ; 1 male, Prov. Tuyen Quang, Na Hang Nature Reserve , 300m, 22°3´N 105°5´E, 25.II.–5.III.1997, G. Csorba leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-990 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) ; 1 male, Bao Loc (secondary forest), Rung Cat Tien , 1500m, 11°32´N 107°48´E, 10–20.XII.1992, Sinyaev & Simonov leg. ( MWM / ZSM) ; THAILAND: 1 male, 2 females, Saraburi, Khao Yai NP, Khao Khieo , 752m, 14°24´20´´N 101°22´14´´E, 1.VI.2005, K. Černý leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV2670 (male) and AV2671 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ( CKC) ; 1 male, Kanchanaburi prov., Sri Sawat Distr., Ban Dong Lek , 10.V. 2005, 735m, leg. K. Sukhumalind ( CKC) ; 2 females, 10–20.II.1962, 20 km E Krabi, S Thailand, G. Friedel leg. ( MWM / ZSM) ; CAMBODIA: 6 males, Kampot prov., Bokor N.P., Hill station , 1025m, 10°37´N 104°01´E, 19–21.I.2006, G. Csorba & G. Ronkay leg. ( MWM / ZSM) ; 5 males, 2 females, Mondolkiri prov., Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area , between Seima and O’Rang, 12°15´44´´N 107°03´49´´E, 360m, 27–29.I.2006, G. Csorba & G. Ronkay leg., gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019-992 (male) and ZSM Arct. 2019-993 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) ; 1 male, Mondolkiri prov., Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, between Seima and O’Rang , 12°12´12´´N 107°01´09´´E, 300m, 30.I.2006, G. Csorba & G. Ronkay leg. ( MWM / ZSM) ; MALAYSIA: 1 male, 1 female, Pahang distr., Cameron Highlands, Kampung Kuala Boh vill. env., 4°27.9´N 101°34.8´E, 850–1050m, 26.III.–3.IV.2001, K. Bucsek leg., gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2020-090 (male) and ZSM Arct. 2020-091 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) ; INDONESIA: 1 male, VII–VIII.1969, Sumatra sept., Deli, Dolok Merangir, 150m, E. Diehl leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-998 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) .

Remarks. The genitalia of the female holotype of Setina pudibunda ( Fig. 32 ) display no remarkable differences from those of the lectotype (here designated) of M. irregularis ( Fig. 33 ) as well as females from other parts of the range of M. irregularis . Thus, we hereby synonymize M. irregularis syn. nov. as a junior and subjective synonym of M. pudibunda .

In the NHMUK, besides the female specimen of M. irregularis having a red type label, we found additional three males and one female from the Rothschild’s collection with the same geographical labels. However, the original description ( Rothschild 1913) mentioned an unspecified number of females therefore we consider the second female lacking a red type label as syntype while the male specimens are just topotypes. In order to stabilize the nomenclature we designate the red labelled syntype female as the lectotype.

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7–9.5 mm in males and 8–9 mm in females. Miltochrista pudibunda can easily be distinguished from the related species by the yellowish pink forewing with dark pink costal and outer margins. The male genital capsule of the species is similar to that of M. pseudobunda due to the lack of a medial saccular process and the presence of a swollen rectangular process of the ventral protrusion of the costa. However, the uncus of M. pudibunda is somewhat thicker than in M. pseudobunda , the penicular lobe is somewhat smaller (the peniculus to tegumen lengths ratio is 1:3.5 vs. 1: 2.5 in M. pseudobunda ), the vinculum is more elongate (the vinculum to tegumen lengths ratio is 1.25:1 vs. ca. 1: 1 in M. pseudobunda ), the saccus more or less V-shaped (Ushaped in M. pseudobunda ), the distal costal process is triangular with a rounded apex (whereas it is less prominent and rounded in M. pseudobunda ), and the distal saccular process is evenly slender subbasally and medially (whereas it is triangular and tapered distally in M. pseudobunda ). Despite the similarity of the genital capsules, the vesicae of M. pudibunda and M. pseudobunda are dissimilar and that of M. pudibunda is most reminiscent of that of M. berdepsebunda sp. nov., but can be distinguished by the absence of a medial lobe of the subbasal chamber, and the longer (reaching the distal chamber tip) row of more numerous and shorter (in comparison to the phallus width) cornuti. The female genitalia of M. pudibunda differ from those of related species by the heavily sclerotized posterior third of the corpus bursae with an elongate band-like cluster of dentation along its anterior edge which is curved anteriorly along the right margin of the bursa. Additionally, the sclerotized crests of the 7 th sternite are lyrelike curved and the lateral pockets are absent.

Distribution. Widespread from southern China (Hainan Island) ( Rothschild 1913, as M. irregularis ) through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia ( Černý & Pinratana 2009; Bucsek 2012; Bae et al. 2016) to Sumatra Island ( Indonesia) ( Snellen 1880).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Miltochrista pudibunda: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 in RMNH; 2 in ZSM; 3 and 4 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 5–8 in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 9–16. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 9, 10 and 16 in CKC; 11, 12 and 14 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 13 and 15 in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 21–24. Miltochrista pudibunda: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 21 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 22–24 in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 32–37. Miltochrista spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 32 in RMNH; 33 and 35 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 34, 36 and 37 in CKC.