Miltochrista asphida, Volynkin & Černý & Huang & Saldaitis, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V, Černý, Karel, Huang, Si-Yao & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2023, Thirteen new species of the genus Miltochrista Hübner from Indochina, China, Myanmar and India (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 68, pp. 12-37 : 19

Miltochrista asphida sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DB5A9098-F99A-4086-9D85-DB8C9B27E44E

( Figs 34, 35 , 72, 73 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 34 , 72 ): male, “ 10–20.VIII.2014, | South Laos, | 27 km ENE of Pakse, | near Tad Fane waterfall, | 15°11'01.1''N 106°07'40.5''E, | 950m, local collector leg. / “Slide | AV6193 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ, ex CAV).

Paratypes. VIETNAM: 1 male, Bao Loc , Rung Cat Tien, 11.32'N 107.48'E [11°32'N 107°48'E], 1500m, 10–20.XII.1992, sec. forest, Sinyaev & Simonov leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 293/2017 ♂ ( MWM / ZSM) ; 1 male, Đà L ạt, Datan La , 1380m, 11°54'10.6''N 108°26'[59].59''E, 29.IX.2013, K. Černý leg., gen. prep. No.: AV2614 ♂ ( CKC) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 8.5–9.0 mm in males. Miltochrista asphida sp. n. has two forms, the typical one with intense blackish suffusion between the antemedial and subterminal streaks ( Fig. 34 ), and the form with thin and distinct streaks ( Fig. 35 ). The latter one is very similar to M. tenuiprocessa sp. n. ( Figs 39–44 ) and the identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genital capsule of the new species ( Figs 72, 73 ) is clearly different from other similar congeners due to the shield-like dilated proximal section of the uncus (reminiscent of the externally dissimilar M. uncalis Kirti & Gill, 2009 ( Figs 36 , 74 ) from South India), and the narrow and strongly elongate valva. The vesica configuration of M. asphida sp. n. is most similar to M. tenuiprocessa sp. n. ( Figs 77 , 78 ) but in the new species, the main chamber is somewhat broader, the lateral cornutus is longer, and the apical diverticulum is slightly larger.

The female is unknown.

Distribution. Laos (Champasak Province) and Vietnam (Lâm Đồng Province).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek ‘ασπίδα’ meaning ‘a shield’ and refers to the shield-like dilated proximal section of the uncus. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

Figures 27–38. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 27 and 28 in CKC; 29 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 30–33, 35, 37 and 38 in MWM/ZSM; 34 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 36 in OUMNH.

Figures 70–73. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 70, 71 and 73 in MWM/ZSM; 72 in WIGJ (ex CAV).

Figures 39–49. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 39 and 45 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 40 and 47 in CKC; 41–44 in MWM/ZSM; 46 in CAV; 48 and 49 in ZFMK.

Figures 74–77. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 74 in OUMNH; 75 and 76 in MWM/ZSM; 77 in WIGJ (ex CAV).

Figures 78–81. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 78 in MWM/ZSM; 79 in ZFMK; 80 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 81 in CKC.