Nephelomilta vinhphuciensis Bayarsaikhan & Bae, 2023

Bayarsaikhan, Ulziijargal, Mustafa, Bilal, Kwon, Hyung Wook & Bae, Yang-Seop, 2023, One new species and one new record of Nephelomilta Hampson (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 5256 (6), pp. 589-592 : 590

Nephelomilta vinhphuciensis Bayarsaikhan & Bae , sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4C95D2CE-A03F-4E15-9B4B-035F87FEE4C4

Type materials. Holotype: Ô, Vietnam, Vinh Phuc Prov., Tam Dao National Park , 25.V.2007 (YS Bae, PV Nha, DY Chae), adult and gen. slide No. INU˗ 1576 V . Paratypes (2 Ô) Vietnam: 1 Ô, same data as holotype, adult and gen. slide No. INU˗ 1667V ; 1 Ô, same locality as holotype, 14.VIII.2005 (YS Bae, JH Bae, PV Nha leg.), adult and gen. slide No. INU˗ 1979V.

Diagnosis. By general appearance, N.vinhphuciensis sp. nov. is similar to members of the N.pusilla species˗group, which comprises 10 species (including two subspecies), N. angkorensis (Bayarsaikhan & Bae, 2016) , N. babensis (Bae & Bayarsaikhan, 2017) , N. fangae Volynkin & Černy, 2018 , N. hortensis hortensis Volynkin & Černy, 2018 , N. hortensis fancipana Volynkin & Černy, 2018 , N. karenkonis (Matsumura, 1930) , N. martini Volynkin & Černy, 2018 , N. melli Volynkin & Černy, 2018 , N. pusilla (Wileman, 1910) , and N. thomaswitti Volynkin & Černy, 2018 . The new species can be distinguished from all the aforementioned species by the distinctly zigzagged antemedial line of the forewing. In the male genitalia, weakly sclerotized apical costal lobe of valva is broadly rounded; distal membranous lobe of valva presented from apical costal lobe to roundly rectangular subapical saccular process; weakly sclerotized ventral-apical costal process is located between apical costal lobe and subapical saccular process; a strongly sclerotized, broadly finger-shaped ampulla is almost same length as ventral-apical costal process, with a small apical spine; spines of medial diverticulum two times longer than those of distal diverticulum, and sclerotized plate of carina has a pair of different sized spines.

Description Male ( Fig. 1a ). Length of forewing 11–12 mm in male (n=3). Antenna ciliate, sordid white. Frons and vertex white. Patagium and tegula white, with pale red band. Legs pale brown mixed with white scales. Ground color of forewing dirty whitish yellow, with pale red (or orange) lines and patches: subbasal and antemedial lines strongly zigzagged; medial spot slightly rectangular, two times larger than two rounded discal spots; medial line curved near dorsum, it connected with antemedial line; postmedial line curved near dorsum; three submarginal spots irregular shaped; terminal line slender. Hindwing pale with yellow on major veins; with one brown discal spot. Abdomen slender, dark brown, over covered with white scales.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 1b ). Long uncus slender, with claw-shaped tip, almost same length as tegumen. Valva stout, distally narrowed and rounded; a large costal angle strongly covered with setae; broadly rounded weakly sclerotized apical costal lobe covered with setae; distal membranous lobe of valva presented from apical costal lobe to roundly rectangular subapical saccular process; sclerotized ventral-apical costal process located between apical costal lobe and subapical saccular process; a strongly sclerotized, broadly finger-shaped ampulla almost same length as ventral-apical costal process, with a small apical spine, weakly covered with setose; ventral costal plate broad. Juxta X˗shaped, strongly sclerotized. Vinculum short and saccus U-shaped. Aedeagus short, bent, with two different sized spines in strongly sclerotized plate of carina, and spines of medial diverticulum two times longer than distal diverticulum’s spine and sclerotized plate of carina has a pair of different sized sines in vesica.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Vietnam (Vinh Phuc province).

Etymology. The species is named after its type locality, Vinh Phuc province, Vietnam.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Adult and male genitalia of Nephelomilta from Southeast Asia. 1a. N. vinhphuciensis sp. nov. (holotype, INU˗1576Viet.). 1b. ditto, male genitalia (holotype, INU˗1576Viet.). 2a. N. sumatrana sumatrana (OPU˗042Thai.). 2b. ditto, male genitalia (INU˗10245Thai.).