Nephelomilta thomaswitti 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 : 417

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4472.3.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DF1A207A-4FE1-4025-93BC-A3A3458AF37E
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5963820
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D86C6B11-FFA3-6574-4680-FF25FDFAFA0E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Nephelomilta thomaswitti Volynkin & Černý
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Nephelomilta thomaswitti Volynkin & Černý , sp. nov.

( Figs. 50–52 View FIGURES 50–60 , 107 View FIGURES 105–107 , 108 View FIGURES 108–110 , 138 View FIGURES 134–141 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 50 View FIGURES 50–60 , 107 View FIGURES 105–107 ): ♂, [NE India] “ Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga SE, 27°30'N, 88°20'E, 2600 m, 9–10.VIII.1995, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister”, slide MWM 31654 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).

Paratypes. INDIA: 3 ♂, the same data as in the holotype (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga SE, 27°30'N, 88°20'E, 22–31.VII.1995, 2000 m, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂, Sikkim, Pemayangtse , 22.VII.1995, 1900 m, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister, slide MWM 34451 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♂, India, W[est] B[engal], Darjeeling , 2100 m, 29.VII.1990, leg. W. Thomas (Coll. CKC) ; NEPAL: 3 ♂, East Nepal, Deorali Danda, Anpan , 1900 m, 6.VIII.2000, leg. Csővári & Hreblay, slide MWM 31663 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 ♀, East Nepal, Milke Danda, Gursa , 2100 m, 22.VIII.2000, leg. Csȏvari & Hreblay, slide MWM 31664 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).

Diagnosis. Length of forewing is 13–14 mm in males and 17.5 mm in females. This is one of the largest species within the genus. It is similar externally to the sympatric N. kanchenjunga sp. nov., and differs only in its slightly larger size, the slightly less curved postmedial line, and the slightly larger discal spots. In most cases the correct determination is possibble by the genitalia structure only. The male genitalia of N. thomaswitti sp. nov. are very different from those of N. kanchenjunga sp. nov. and are most similar to those of N. babensis and the ‘ N. pusilla species-complex’, especially to N. fangae sp. nov., but differ clearly from N. babensis in the significantly larger apical lobes of the juxta, the broader apical lobe of the costa, the broader ventral costal plate with the ampulla significantly larger and broadly trigonal, the presence of the weak basal dentation of the costa, the shorter but broader subapical saccular process, the smaller thorn on the carinal plate of the aedeagus, and the larger spines on the medial and distal diverticula of the vesica; from N. fangae sp. nov. they differ in the significantly larger apical lobes of the juxta, the valve slightly narrower medially, the broader apical lobe of the costa, the slightly narrower ventral-apical costal process, the slightly shorter ampulla, the presence of the weak basal dentation of the costa, the longer subapical saccular process, the smaller thorn on the carinal plate of the aedeagus, the shorter medial diverticulum of the vesica, and the larger spines on the medial and distal diverticula. The female genitalia of N. thomaswitti sp. nov. are very similar to those of N. babensis and differ in the slightly shorter antevaginal plate, the more weakly sclerotized margin of the ostium bursae, the narrower and more weakly sclerotized duscus bursae, the smaller appendix bursae, the larger spinules of the medial cluster of the corpus bursae, and the significantly larger signum; from N. fangae sp. nov. they differ in the significantly smaller antevaginal plate, the margin of the ostium bursae without V-shaped concavity, the less numerous spinules of the medial cluster of the corpus bursae, and the slightly larger signum.