Miltochrista pseudomodesta Joshi, Singh & Volynkin

Joshi, Rahul, Singh, Navneet, Kirti, Jagbir Singh, Volynkin, Anton V. & Bucsek, Karol, 2017, Two new species of Miltochrista from India (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4238 (3), pp. 445-450 : 448-449

Miltochrista pseudomodesta Joshi, Singh & Volynkin , sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 10, 11)

Type locality. Wokha , Nagaland ( India).

Type material. Holotype: male, India, Nagaland, Wokha , 1440 m 30.V.2010. (Coll. R. Joshi) (Registration number: PUP /RJ – 187) . Paratype: 1 male, India, Mizoram, Champhai , 27.IV.2009 (Registration number: PUP /RJ – 187a).

Etymology: The species name refers to its close similarity to M. modesta .

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ).Wingspan 30–32 mm in males. Head with frons and vertex yellow, latter with black spot. Labial palpi obliquely upturned, slightly marked with black. Thorax yellow with black points at mesothorax, plus pair of black spots at each tegulae. Forewing with ground color yellow, costal edge black towards base, forming spot at base; a black point at base of cell; obliquely placed black spots below costa and above vein 1A; a black discoidal spot; a subterminal series of spots, incurved below costa and below vein Cu1. Hindwing rather paler than forewing. Legs banded with black. Male genitalia ( Figs. 10, 11) with uncus slightly elevated dorsally before apex, tip produced to a small spine; tegumen longer than uncus; vinculum shorter than tegumen; saccus reduced; valva apex lobe-like, distal costal process not developed, distal saccular process elongated, well separated from valva apex, strongly curved and sclerotized; juxta weakly sclerotized, bell-shaped; vesica balloonshaped, membranous, with strong scobination and single large cornutus. Female unknown.

Diagnosis. The closest relatives of M. pseudomodesta sp. nov. are Chinese species Miltochrista modesta ( Leech, 1899) , comb. nov., M. rubricans and M. szetschwanica . Externally, it is very similar to M. modesta and differs by the slightly larger discal spot only; from M. rubricans and M. szetschwanica it differs clearly by its yellow fore- and hindwing ground color, and presence of two antemedial black spots. The male genitalia differ from those of M. modesta ( Fig. 18, 19) by the uncus slightly shorter and distally broadened, the distal saccular process broader and with narrower tip, and presence of a large spike-like cornutus in vesica; from M. rubricans differ by the uncus slightly shorter and distally broadened, the distal saccular process broader and shorter, absence of a field of numerous strong spines in vesica, and the cornutus much larger; from M. szetschwanica differ by the uncus slightly shorter and distally broadened, the distal saccular process broader, shorter and pointed apically, absence of a field of numerous strong spines in vesica, and the cornutus basally narrower and slightly curved.

Distribution. The species is known from North East India (Mizoram and Nagaland states).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Miltochrista spp., adults. 1, Miltochrista quadra Joshi, Singh & Volynkin, sp. nov., male, NE India; 2, Miltochrista pseudomodesta Joshi, Singh & Volynkin, sp. nov. male, NE India; 3, M. discisigna, male, E India, Meghalaya, Khasis (© NHM); 4, M. rubricans, lectotype male, China, Chang Yang (© NHM); 5, M. szetschwanica, male, China, Sichuan (ZISP); 6, M. modesta, syntype male, Kwei-Chow [China, Guizhou] (© NHM).