Miltochrista nuiba, 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 : 14

Miltochrista nuiba sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CDB3D696-C6B1-4E5D-B06A-435972E4514F

( Figs 4–6 , 52 , 83 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 4 , 52 ): male, “ I.2013, | South Vietnam, | Lâm Đồng Province , | Lạc DƯƠng District , | Tây Nguyên Highlands , | Bidoup Nui-Ba NP, | local collector leg.” / “ Slide | AV7399 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ, ex CAV).

Paratypes. VIETNAM: 2 males, 1 female, the same data as in the holotype, gen. prep. No.: AV7400 ♀ ( CAV) ; 1 female, the same data as previous but X.2012, gen. prep. No.: AV1624 ♀ ( CAV) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but XII.2012 ( CAV) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10.0 mm in males and 10.0–11.0 mm in females. Miltochrista nuiba sp. n. ( Figs 4–6 ) is externally reminiscent of the sympatric M. soloma sp. n. ( Figs 10, 11 ) and M. parallelinaformis ( Fig. 12 ) but distinguished from the former species by the somewhat narrower forewing with a deeper pink ground colour and more oblique medial line, and the latter species by the forewing having a deeper pink ground colour and less prominent markings. The male genitalia structure of the new species is most similar to M. pingera ( Figs 7–9 ), from which M. nuiba sp. n. differs externally by the more diffuse forewing markings with the medial line being more oblique and the discal spot present. The male genital capsule of M. nuiba sp. n. ( Fig. 52 ) is very similar to M. pingera ( Fig. 53 ) but distinguished by the markedly narrower uncus, the distally broader costa with a larger distal process, and the more heavily setose dorsal surface of the sacculus. The phalli of the two species display no remarkable differences. The vesica of M. nuiba sp. n. is broader than in M. pingera , has a somewhat larger apical diverticulum, and bears two equal cornuti whereas in the latter species the distal cornutus is considerably smaller. In the female genitalia ( Fig. 83 ), the new species differs from M. pingera ( Fig. 84 ) in the sinuous ventral margin of the ostium bursae forming a medial depression whereas it is almost straight in the congener. Additionally, compared to M. pingera , the posterior dentate plate of the corpus bursae of M. nuiba sp. n. is larger, and the appendix bursae is broader.

Distribution. Vietnam (Lâm Đồng Province).

Etymology. The specific epithet is homonymic of the type locality. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

Figures 1–15. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1, 4 and 10 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 2 and 3 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 5, 6, 11 and 12 in CAV; 7 in MWM/ZSM; 8, 9, 14 and 15 in CKC; 13 in SNM (after Bucsek 2020).

Figures 50–53. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 50 and 52 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 51 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 53 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 82–85. Miltochrista spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 82 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 83 in CAV; 84 and 85 in MWM/ZSM.