Nephelomilta gulmargensis (N. Singh, Kirti & D.P. Singh, 2015) 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 : 410

Nephelomilta gulmargensis (N. Singh, Kirti & D.P. Singh, 2015) , comb. nov.

( Figs.19–22 , 93 , 131 )

Kailasha gulmargensis N. SINgh, KIRTI & D.P. SINgh, 2015, in KIRTI & SINgh, Arctiid Moths of India 1: 81 (Type LOCALITy: [NW INDIA] “KAShmIR: GULmARg”).

Type material examined. Photograph of the holotype: ♂, Kashmir: Gulmarg, 13.v.2013 (Coll. PUDZES).

Other material examined. INDIA: 22 ♂ , 3 ♀, NE India, W Meghalaya, Umran, 33 km N Shillong , 26°06’N, 92°23’E, 800 m, 14-23.VII.1997, leg. Sinjaev & Afonin, slides MWM 31648 (♂), ZSM 31 /2017 (♂), ZSM 32 / 2017 (♂), ZSM 33 /2017 (♂), ZSM 34 /2017 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; NEPAL: 5 ♂ , Nepal, Tanaboun distr., Baisakhe Ghat , 10 km W Duleguunda, 630 m, 10.X.1994, leg. Csorba & Ronkay, slide MWM 31661 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; MYANMAR: 1 ♂ , Myanmar, Chin Hills, 2 km E Kanpetlet, 1700 m, 2.X.2002, leg. W. Mey / Natma Taung NP, area of Mt. Victoria , slide AV4233 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. ZMB) .

Diagnosis. Length of forewing is 10–10.5 mm in males and 13 mm in females. N. gulmargensis is very similar externally to some other species of the genus with a red pattern (e.g., N. admiranda sp. nov., N. klapperichi , small specimens of N. sumatrana effractoida ), and can be distinguished from them only by the genitalia structures. The male genitalia of N. gulmargensis are very characteristic and differ clearly from those of other congeners by the valve significantly narrowed distally, the thin distal section of the costa without an apical process but with the short and rounded ventral-apical process, the ventral costal plate directed at a small angle to the costa and having the ampulla short, but robust and apically rounded, and the aedeagus smaller compared to the genital capsule, whereas in other species the valve is only slightly narrowed distally (except for N. bana sp. nov. having the valve much more strongly narroved distally), the distal section of the costa is broader and has an apical process or lobe (except for N. kanchenjunga sp. nov. having no processes of the costa), the ventral costal plate is directed at a greater angle to the costa and having the ampulla trigonal or lobe-like, and the aedeagus is larger compared to the genital capsule. The female genitalia differ from those of other congeners in the presence of the fascia-shaped, inflated postvaginal plate, the extremely broad antevaginal plate, and the reduced appendix bursae.

Distribution. North-West and North-East India (Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya), Nepal, West Myanmar.

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).

FIGURES 126–133. Nephelomilta Spp.: femALe geNITALIA. 126, N. suffusa, S INDIA, SLIDe BMNH(E) ARCT-6558 VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK); 127, N. sumatrana sumatrana, SUmATRA, SLIDe AV4154 VOLyNKIN; 128, N. s. sumatrana, MALAy PeNINSULA, SLIDe MWM 31645 VOLyNKIN; 129, N. s. effractoida, pARAType, NE INDIA, SLIDe ZSM ARCT. 36/2017 VOLyNKIN; 130, N. s. effractoida, pARAType, SW ThAILAND, SLIDe AV2848 VOLyNKIN; 131, N. gulmargensis, NE INDIA, SLIDe ZSM ARCT. 34/2017 VOLyNKIN; 132, N. effracta, NepAL, SLIDe MWM 31656 VOLyNKIN; 133, N. pseudoeffracta, NE INDIA, SLIDe VOLyNKIN (©NHMUK).