Miltochrista conthytera, 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 : 16

Miltochrista conthytera sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:29FB661B-C796-46EF-95F4-71D7D7BF3A57

( Figs 20, 21 , 62, 63 , 87 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 20 , 62 ): male, “ China / Sichuan | Qingchenghoushan Mts. | 70 km NW Chengdu | 1400 m, 15–20. VI. 2005 | leg. S., V., M. Murzin / Museum Witt” / ‘Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2019- 1068 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( MWM / ZSM).

Paratypes. CHINA: 2 males, 1 female, the same data as in the holotype, gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1069 ♀ ( MWM / ZSM) ; 1 male, Hubei, Wudang Shan , 32°16'N 110°57'E, IX.2000, 1500m, local collector leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 372/2017 ♂ ( MWM / ZSM) ; 1 male, Wuy Shan , Jiangxi / Fujian border, 50 km SE of Yingtan, 27°56'N 117°25'E, 1600m, V .2002, Sinyaev & local coll. leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 371/2017 ♂ ( MWM / ZSM) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10.5–11.0 mm in males and 12.0 mm in the female. Miltochrista conthytera sp. n. ( Figs 20, 21 ) is externally indistinguishable from M. ehyrosta sp. n. ( Figs 16–19 ) and the identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genital capsules of the two species are very similar but in M. conthytera sp. n. ( Figs 62, 63 ), the saccular process is markedly shorter and distally narrower, the ventro-lateral diverticulum of the vesica is larger, and the apical diverticulum is shorter and more rounded than the corresponding structures of the congener ( Figs 58–61 ). In the female genitalia, M. conthytera sp. n. ( Fig. 87 ) is distinguished from M. ehyrosta sp. n. ( Figs 85 , 86 ) by the shallower but anteriorly broader ventral depression of the ostium bursae margin, and the broader postero-lateral sclerotised area of the corpus bursae edged with interrupted elongate clusters of smaller spines, which are continuous in the congener. The lateral pockets of the 7 th abdominal sternite of the new species are broader but shorter than in M. ehyrosta sp. n.

Distribution. China (Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Fujian Provinces).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek ‘κοντύτερος’ meaning ‘shorter’ and refers to the distal saccular processes, which are remarkably shorter than in the similar M. ehyrosta . The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

Figures 16–26. Miltochrista spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 16 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 17 in CAV; 18 and 19 in CKC; 20–22, 25 and 26 in MWM/ZSM; 23 in GMF-B; 24 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 62–65. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 62, 63 and 65 in MWM/ZSM; 64 in WIGJ.

Figures 86–89. Miltochrista spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 86 in CKC; 87 and 89 in MWM/ZSM; 88 in GMF-B.

Figures 58–61. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 58 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 59 and 61 in MWM/ZSM; 60 in CKC.

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.