Nephelomilta taprobana ( Hampson, 1901 ) 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 : 406

Nephelomilta taprobana ( Hampson, 1901) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 85 )

Gymnasura taprobana HAmpSON, 1901, The annals and magazine of natural history (7) 8: 184 (Type LOCALITy: [ SRI LANKA] "CeyLON, MATeLé").

Type material examined. Holotype (by monotypy) ( Figs. 5 , 85 ): ♂, printed label "Matale Nova" / handwritten label Gymnasura taprobana type ♂. Hmpsn." / printed round label with a red circle "Type" / printed label with QRcode "NHMUK010598143", slide BMNH(E) Arct-6582 / NHMUK010313171 Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK).

Diagnosis. Length of forewing is 7.5 mm in the male. This is the smallest species within the genus. Nephelomilta taprobana differs externally from other congeners by its small size, and the forewing ground color ochreous with a fuscous pattern. The male genitalia are similar to those of N. suffusa , but can be easily distinguished by the narrower distal section of costa with the ventral-apical process much narrower, claw-shaped and apically pointed, the significantly smaller ampulla, which does not reach the ventral margin of the valve, the weaker sclerotized plate of the carina, and the much smaller, spine-like cornuti on the distal diverticulum of the vesica.

Female is unknown.

Distribution. Endemic of Sri Lanka Island.

Figures

FIGURES 1–12. Nephelomilta Spp.: ADULTS. 1, N. suffusa, holotype ♀, S India (©NHMUK); 2, N. suffusa, hOLOType ♂ Of fuscobarsine, S INDIA (PUDZES, phOTO by N. SINgh); 3, N. suffusa, ♂, S India (©NHMUK); 4, N. suffusa, ♀, S INDIA (©NHMUK); 5, N. taprobana, holotype ♂, Sri Lanka (©NHMUK); 6, N. sumatrana sumatrana, LeCTOType ♂, SUmATRA (ZMA, phOTO by R. De VOS); 7, N. s. sumatrana, ♂, Sumatra (CKC); 8, N. s. sumatrana, ♀, Sumatra (CKC); 9, N. s. sumatrana, ♂, MALAy PeNINSULA (MWM/ZSM); 10, N. s. sumatrana, ♀, Malay Peninsula (MWM/ZSM); 11, N. s. sumatrana, ♂, BORNeO (CKC); 12, N. s. sumatrana, ♀, BORNeO (CKC).

FIGURES 84–86. Nephelomilta Spp.: mALe geNITALIA. 84, N. suffusa, S INDIA, SLIDe BMNH(E) ARCT-6557 VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK); 85, N. taprobana, hOLOType, SRI LANKA, SLIDe BMNH(E) ARCT-6582 VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK); 86, N. sumatrana sumatrana, SUmATRA, SLIDe AV2345♂ VOLyNKIN.