Miltochrista stenovalva Volynkin, N. Singh, Černý, Kirti & Datta, 2020

Volynkin, Anton V., Singh, Navneet, Černý, Karel, Kirti, Jagbir Singh & Datta, Harvinder Singh, 2020, Revision of the Miltochrista obliquilinea species-group, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), Zootaxa 4780 (3), pp. 448-470 : 456-458

Miltochrista stenovalva Volynkin, N. Singh, Černý, Kirti & Datta , sp. n.

( Figs 22–24 , 46, 47 , 60 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9B07013D-EE9B-4CE9-BAE9-BDAE24A78BE5

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 22 , 46 ): male, “ India, Nagaland, Kohima , 23.IV.2017, 1400 m, leg. H.S. Datta ” /

red label “ Holotype Miltochrista stenovalva Volynkin, N. Singh, Černý, Kirti & Datta ”, preparation in glycerol by Datta (Coll. NZCZSI).

Paratypes (38 males, 17 females). INDIA : NAGALAND: 11 males, 6 females , with same data as in the holotype (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 male , India , Nagaland, Kohima, Zakhama 25.IV.2017, leg. H. S. Datta (Coll. NZC- ZSI) ; MIZORAM: 2 males , India , Mizoram, Thingsul , 13.IX.2008, leg. Rahul Joshi (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 male, 2 females , India , Mizoram, Champhai , 26.IX.2009, leg. Rahul Joshi (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 male , India , Mizoram, Lunglei , 10.IV.2017, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 2 males , India , Mizoram, Lunglei , 11.IV.2017, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 4 males, 2 females , India , Mizoram, Zotlang , 15.IV.2017, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 2 males, 1 female , India , Mizoram, Zotlang , 16.IV.2017, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 female , India , Mizoram, Champhai , 18.IV.2017, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 2 males , India , Mizoram, Reiek , 20.IV.2017, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI) ; MEGHALAYA: 3 males , NE India, W Meghalaya, Umran , 33 km N Shillong, H= 800 m, 25°45’N, 92°23’E, 8–11.XII.1997, leg. V. Sinyaev & M. Murzin, slide ZSM Arct. 267/2017 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; THAILAND: 1 male , Changwat Chiang Rai, 1 km SE of Khun-Kon , 600m, 15.XI.1998, leg. Tibor Csővári & László Mikus, slide ZSM Arct. 247/2017 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 1 female , Thailand , Changwat Chiang Mai, 20 km NW of Mae Ai , 1650 m, 9.IX.1999, leg. A. Szabó & Z. Czere (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 1 male , Thailand , Changwat Chiang Mai, 4 km SE of Pang Faen , 1100m, 18.I.2004. Leg.: Péter Hentschel & Attila Szabó, slide ZSM Arct. 2019-440 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 2 males, 2 females , Thailand , Changwat Nan, 30 km E of Pua , 1700 m, 10.XI.1999, leg. Márton Hreblay, slide ZSM Arct. 265/2017 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 2 males , Thailand , Changwat Nan, 25 km N of Bo Luang , 1150 m, 17.II.1998, leg. Márton Hreblay & Csaba Szabóky, slide ZSM Arct. 266/2017 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 2 males , the same locality, but 11.XI.1999, leg. Márton Hreblay, slide ZSM Arct. 2019-436 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 1 female , the same locality and collector, but 11.II.2000, slide ZSM Arct. 2019-422 (female) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM); 1 male, 1 female , Thailand , Changwat Nan, 5 km N of Bo Luang , 1000 m, 12.XI.1999, leg. Márton Hreblay, slides ZSM Arct. 2019- 423 (male) and ZSM Arct. 2019-424 (female) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length is 9–10.5 mm (wingspan 17–20 mm) in males and 10.5–11 mm (wingspan 20–22 mm) in females. Miltochrista stenovalva sp. n. is very similar externally to the related M. kontumica , M. adelfika , sp. n. and M. areolifera , but can be distinguished from the first two by its more undulate medial transverse line of male forewing. From M. areolifera it differs by its slightly narrower male forewing with the costa less curved at apex, interrupted antemedial line, slightly more elongated discal spot and broader and shorter denticles of the postmedial line, of which the medial ones are directed distally, whereas in M. areolifera those are directed posterodistally. The male genital capsule of the new species resembles that of M. areolifera by its similarly narrow valva, but can be easily distinguished by the prominent and apically pointed distal costal process (in M. areolifera distal costal process is very short, narrow and has a rounded apex) and the presence of the distal saccular process and the distal membranous lobe of valva as well, the features which are absent in M. areolifera . Compared to those of M. kontumica and M. adelfika sp. n., the male genital capsule of M. stenovalva sp. n. differs by its more elongated, distally strongly tapered valva (that is dilated distally in M. kontumica and M. adelfika sp. n.), narrower distal section of costa, much smaller distal membranous lobe of valva, broader sacculus, and much longer and narrower distal saccular process. The aedeagus of the new species is much shorter and narrower than that of M. areolifera , the aedeagus vesica is much narrower, the ventral diverticulum is smaller, the dorsal subapical diverticulum is absent, and the cornuti are much shorter and more numerous (5–6 in M. stenovalva sp. n. and 2 in M. areolifera ). Compared to those of M. kontumica and M. adelfika sp. n., the aedeagus of the new species is narrower, the aedeagus vesica is characterised by its broad and unilobate subbasal diverticulum (that is bilobate in M. kontumica and M. adelfika sp. n.), much larger ventral diverticulum, weakly granulated largest medial diverticulum, absence of a distal diverticulum (present in M. kontumica ), and presence of a bunch of 4–5 robust spine-like cornuti of various length (whereas in M. kontumica and M. adelfika sp. n. there are bunches of two arrowhead-shaped cornuti). The female genitalia of M. stenovalva sp. n. differ clearly from all other members of the species-group by its significantly shorter apophyses anteriores compared to those of other species. The accessory bursa is thick-walled, situated dorso-posteriorly and extends to the left side of the posterior section of corpus bursae, the ductus seminalis originates from its lateral part, which is also unique within the species-group. The corpus bursae is similar to that of M. angulifera , but more elongate, curved right and bears smaller spinules.

Distribution. India (Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram) and North Thailand (Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Nan Provinces).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a combination of the Greek word ‘στενή’ meaning ‘narrow’ and the word

‘valva’. The name refers to the narrow male valvae of the new species.

Figures

FIGURES 16–33. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of specimens: 16, 18, 31—ZSMN; 17—CAV; 19, 22—NZCZSI; 20—CKC; 21, 23, 24, 26, 28–30, 32, 33—MWM/ZSM; 25, 27—NHMUK (©).

FIGURES 46–49. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of specimens: 46—NZCZSI; 47, 49—MWM/ZSM; 48— NHMUK (©).

FIGURES 60–63. Miltochrista spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of specimens: 60, 62—MWM/ZSM; 61—NHMUK (©); 63—SZMN.