Nephelomilta fangae Volynkin & Černý, 2018

Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2018, Revision of the genus Nephelomilta Hampson, 1900, with descriptions of twelve new species and two new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4472 (3), pp. 401-451 : 419

Nephelomilta fangae Volynkin & Černý , sp. nov.

( Figs. 59, 60 , 111 , 141 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 59 , 111 ): ♂, “ China, Hainan Isl., Wuzhi-Shan Mts., 18°53’N, 109°43’E, 1500 m, 20.II.–10.IV.2001, leg. local collector, ex coll. Dr. Ronald Brechlin” / “ Cyana effracta Walker, 1854 , det. de Vos, 2005”, slide MWM 31679 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).

Paratypes: 2 ♂, same data as in the holotype, slide MWM 31739 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 2 ♂, same locality, but 18–28.II.2003, leg. Siniaev & his team, slide MWM 31681 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♀, same locality and collectors, but III.2003, slide MWM 31682 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).

Diagnosis. Length of forewing is 11–11.5 mm in males and 13 mm in female. Nephelomilta fangae sp. nov. is very similar externally to N. pusilla , and can be distinguished from it only by the genitalia structure. The male genitalia of N. fangae sp. nov. are most similar to those of N. angkorensis and N. pusilla , and differ from N. angkorensis in the narrower apical processes of the juxta, the shorter and broader apical costal lobe, the slightly larger ventral-apical costal proces, the absence of a basal dentation of the costa, the significantly smaller aedeagus, the carinal plate smaller, more weatly sclerotized and with only one thorn, the significantly smaller distal diverticulum of the aedeagus vesica with the much smaller cluster of spines, and the significantly narrower medial diverticulum with the much smaller spines on its tip; from N. pusilla they differ in the slightly shorter uncus, the narrower apical processes of the juxta, the significantly broader apical costal lobe, the extremelly small distal membranous lobe of the valve (whereas in N. pusilla this lobe is large and clearly protrudes beyond the costa apex, the significantly larger ampulla, the absence of a basal dentation of the costa, the larger subapical saccular process, the significantly smaller aedeagus, the carinal plate with only one thorn, the significantly smaller distal diverticulum of the aedeagus vesica with the much smaller cluster of spines, and the narrower medial diverticulum with the much smaller spines on its tip. The female genitalia of N. fangae sp. nov. differ clearly from those of both, N. angkorensis and N. pusilla in the presence of the deep V-like ventral concavity of the ostium bursae, the smaller appendix bursae, and the broader cluster of spines in the medial section of the corpus bursae.

Distribution. Endemic of Hainan Island ( China).

Etymology. The species name is dedicated to Dr. Fang Chenglai (Beijing, China), an author of the fundamental work "Fauna Sinica, 19, Lepidoptera , Arctiidae " (Fang 2000).

Figures

FIGURES 50–60. Nephelomilta Spp.: ADULTS. 50, N. thomaswitti, holotype ♂, NE India (MWM/ZSM); 51, N. thomaswitti, paratype ♂, E Nepal (MWM/ZSM); 52, N. thomaswitti, paratype ♀, E Nepal (MWM/ZSM); 53, N. babensis, ♀, SE LAOS (MWM/ZSM); 54, N. babensis, hOLOType ♂, N VIeTNAm (AfTeR BAyARSAIKhAN et al. 2017); 55, N. babensis, pARAType ♀, N VIeTNAm (AfTeR BAyARSAIKhAN et al. 2017); 56, N. karenkonis, holotype ♂, Taiwan (EIHU, photo by Y.-L. Chen); 57, N. karenkonis, ♂, Taiwan (MWM/ZSM); 58, N. karenkonis, ♀, Taiwan (MWM/ZSM); 59, N. fangae, hOLOType ♂, ChINA, HAINAN (MWM/ZSM); 60, N. fangae, pARAType ♂, ChINA, HAINAN (MWM/ZSM).

FIGURES 111–113. Nephelomilta Spp.: mALe geNITALIA. 111, N. fangae, hOLOType, ChINA, HAINAN, SLIDe MWM 31679 VOLyNKIN; 112, N. angkorensis, CAmbODIA, SLIDe MWM 31639 VOLyNKIN; 113, N. pusilla, TAIwAN, SLIDe MWM 31635 VOLyNKIN.

FIGURES 134–141. Nephelomilta Spp.: femALe geNITALIA. 134, N. klapperichi, S MyANmAR, SLIDe VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK); 135, N. ranau, pARAType, SUmATRA, SLIDe AV4152 VOLyNKIN; 136, N. pellucida, JAvA, SLIDe AV2903 VOLyNKIN; 137, N. martini, pARAType, N VIeTNAm, SLIDe BMNH(E) ARCT-6547 VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK); 138, N. thomaswitti, pARAType, NepAL, SLIDe MWM 31664 VOLyNKIN; 139, N. babensis, C LAOS, SLIDe MWM 33708 VOLyNKIN; 140, N. karenkonis, TAIwAN, SLIDe MWM 31638 VOLyNKIN; 141, N. fangae, pARAType, ChINA, HAINAN, SLIDe MWM 31682 VOLyNKIN.