Miltochrista tsimphida, 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 : 18

Miltochrista tsimphida sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6F2630EC-284B-40F9-BDF0-AE9C368632DA

( Figs 32 , 70 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 32 , 70 ): male, “NE-India, Assam | W. Meghalaya, Garo Hills | Nokrek national Park | 25°40'N, 91°04'E | 1150m, 2–13. VII. 1997 | leg. Afonin & Sinajev [recte: Sinyaev] | Museum Witt” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 421/2017 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( MWM / ZSM).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10.0 mm in the male holotype. Miltochrista tsimphida sp. n. ( Fig. 32 ) is externally indistinguishable from M. neoseriata ( Fig. 33 ) occurring in the same region and the reliable identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genital capsule of the new species ( Fig. 70 ) is clearly different from M. neoseriata ( Fig. 71 ) by the longer and slenderer uncus, the longer tegumen, the asymmetrical and medially broader valvae with a more prominent dorsal protrusion of the costa, the straighter distal costal process, the longer and narrower distal membranous lobe, and the narrower sacculus with a shorter dorsal setose cluster and a considerably longer and thin distal process. The phallus of M. tsimphida sp. n. is broader and somewhat longer than in M. neoseriata and has a distal carinal process (absent in the congener), and a more elongate and downcurved coecum. The vesica of the new species is substantially different from M. neoseriata due to the markedly longer and broader proximal section and main chamber, the broader and longer lateral diverticulum, the shorter lateral cornutus, the considerably longer and straighter distal cornutus (it is basally curved in the congener), and the larger and trapezoidal apical diverticulum, which is semiglobular in M. neoseriata .

The female is unknown.

Distribution. Northeast India (Meghalaya).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek ‘τσιμπίδα’ meaning ‘pincers’ and refers to the strongly elongate and smoothly curved distal costal and saccular processes making the valvae vaguely reminiscent of pincers. 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).