Miltochrista dongi Huang & Volynkin, 2021

Volynkin, Anton V. & Huang, Si-Yao, 2021, Three new peculiar species of the genus Miltochrista Hübner, [1819] from China (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 569-576 : 571

Miltochrista dongi Huang & Volynkin , sp. n.

( Figs 4 , 11 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 4 , 11 ): male, “ 3.V.2018, altitude 2100 m, Mt. Dawei , Pingbian Miao Autonomous County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, P. R. China, leg. Si-yao Huang & Tian-tian Yu” [in Chinese], prep. in glycerol by Huang (Coll. SCAU).

Diagnosis. Miltochrista dongi sp. n. differs externally from its closest relative M. xihe sp. n. by its smaller size, the narrower forewing, the blackish abdomen (it is dark brown in M. xihe sp. n.), the crimson forewing ground color (it is pale red in M. xihe sp. n.), the presence of a wide blackish patch in the medial part of the forewing from the base to the subterminal area, and the blackish brown hindwing (it is dark brown in M. xihe sp. n.). The wing pattern of M. dongi sp. n. is also somewhat reminiscent of that of Ovipennis (Coccinigripennis) miloslavae ( Černý, 2016) from southern Vietnam, but can be readily distinguished from the latter by its larger blackish patch which extends to the wing base (whereas it is not reaching the wing base in O. (C.) miloslavae ) and the findamentally different male genitalia structure. The male genital capsule of M. dongi sp. n. is similar to that of M. xihe sp. n., but differs by the valva narrower medially and basally, the conspicuously narrower distal lobe of valva, and the slightly weaker distal saccular process. The aedeagus of the new species is slightly narrower and less elongated in comparison to the genital capsule of M. xihe sp. n. The vesica of M. dongi sp. n. differs clearly from that of M. xihe sp. n. by its narrower main chamber, the absence of spines on the ventral diverticulum, the smaller distal diverticulum bearing a smaller number of spines, and the markedly larger distal plate.

Description. External morphology of adults. Forewing length 10 mm in holotype male. Male antenna ciliate, blackish. Legs blackish brown. Head and thorax crimson. Abdomen dark brown. Forewing blackish brown, edged with crimson, with blackish suffusion on veins in the subterminal and terminal areas; cilia crimson. Hindwing blackish brown including cilia. Male genitalia. Uncus long, thin, laterally flattened, curved subapically and apically pointed. Tuba analis moderately broad; scaphium thin, weakly sclerotized; subscaphium presented as setose field. Tegumen short, moderately broad and weakly sclerotized. Juxta shield-like with very deep lower triangular concavity. Valva elongated, narrow, its costal margin convex medially. Costa strongly broadened distally, lacks a distal process. Distal lobe of valva large, with apical moderately sclerotized triangular process. Sacculus with weakly setose dorsal margin. Distal saccular process narrow but robust, elongate, slightly S-like curved and apically blunt. Aedeagus elongated, straight. Vesica broad, with more or less globular main chamber; its ventral diverticulum small, heavily granulated; medial diverticulum broad, globular, bears a series of various-sized robust spines; distal diverticulum short, granulated, bears a cluster of several various-sized spines. Distal plate of vesica broadly triangular, moderately sclerotized.

Female unknown.

Distribution. The species is known from its type locality only, Mount Dawei in Yunnan Province of China.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Mr. Zhi-wei Dong (Kunming, China), a good friend of the second author who helped him during his trip to Mount Dawei.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Miltochrista spp., adults. Depositories of specimens: 1–3, 5 and 6 in MWM/ZSM; 4 in SCAU; 7 and 8 in ZFMK.

FIGURES 9–11. Miltochrista spp., male genitalia. Depositories of specimens: 9 and 10 in MWM/ZSM; 11 in SCAU.