Nephelomilta kanchenjunga 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 : 411

Nephelomilta kanchenjunga Volynkin & Černý , sp. nov.

( Figs. 23, 24 , 94 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 23 , 94 ): ♂, [NE India] “ Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga SE, 2000 m, 22–31.VII.1995, 27°30’N 88°20’E, leg. E. Afonin & V. Siniaev ”, slide MWM 31642 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).

Paratypes: 12 ♂, same data as in the holotype, slide MWM 31653 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 10 ♂, Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga SE, 27°30’N 88°20’E, 2600 m, 9–10.VIII.1995, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. Schintlmeister, slide MWM 34449 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 8 ♂, Sikkim, Pemayangtse, 22.VII.1995, 1900 m, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. Schintlmeister, slide MWM 34448 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).

Diagnosis. Length of forewing is 12.5– 13 mm in males. Nephelomilta kanchenjunga sp. nov. is similar externally to the sympatric N. thomaswitti sp. nov., and differs only in the slightly more strongly curved medial and postmedial lines, and the slightly smaller discal spots. A reliable identification is possible only by the genitalia structure: compared to those of N. thomaswitti sp. nov., the male genitalia of N. kanchenjunga sp. nov. have the uncus narrower basally, the apical processes of the juxta significantly shorter, the valve slightly narrower, the distal section of the costa without processes, the ampulla significantly smaller, the distal section of the sacculus narrower, without subapical process, and not reaching the distal section of the costa, the aedeagus is more slender, and the medial diverticulum of the vesica short and broad, without spinules, the character found only in the species of the N. suffusa species-group; the reduction of spines is characteristic also for N. melli sp. nov., but the medial diverticulum of N. melli sp. nov. is long and narrow, as in many other species of Nephelomilta .

The female is unknown.

Distribution. North-East India (Sikkim).

Etymology. The species name refers to its type locality, Mount Kanchenjunga, located on the Indian-Nepalese border.

Figures

FIGURES 13–24. Nephelomilta Spp.: ADULTS. 13, N. sumatrana effractoida, holotype ♂, NE India (©NHMUK); 14, N. s. effractoida, paratype ♂, NE India (CKC); 15, N. s. effractoida, paratype ♂, SW Thailand (CKC); 16, N. s. effractoida, pARAType ♀, SW Thailand (CKC); 17, N. admiranda, holotype ♂, NE India (MWM/ZSM); 18, N. admiranda, pARAType ♂, NE INDIA (MWM/ZSM); 19, N. gulmargensis, ♂, W Myanmar (ZMB); 20, N. gulmargensis, ♂, Nepal (MWM/ZSM); 21, N. gulmargensis, ♂, NE India (MWM/ZSM); 22, N. gulmargensis, ♀, Nepal (MWM/ZSM); 23, N. kanchenjunga, hOLOType ♂, NE INDIA (MWM/ZSM); 24, N. kanchenjunga, pARAType ♂, NE INDIA (MWM/ZSM).

FIGURES 93–95. Nephelomilta Spp.: mALe geNITALIA. 93, N. gulmargensis, NepAL, SLIDe MWM 31661 VOLyNKIN; 94, N. kanchenjunga, hOLOType, NE INDIA, SLIDe MWM 31642 VOLyNKIN; 95, N. wolfgangspeideli, hOLOType, S VIeTNAm, SLIDe AV2343 VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK).