Miltochrista kerala, Volynkin & Huang, 2022

Volynkin, Anton V. & Huang, Si-Yao, 2022, On the taxonomy of the genus Miltochrista Hübner with descriptions of five new species from India and China and notes on the genus Arctelene Kirti & Gill (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 58, pp. 86-108 : 100

Miltochrista kerala sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9FF851D9-4D63-464E-A55F-F8E423DA2FA9

( Figs 33 , 54 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 33 , 54 ): male, “ India mer., Kerala | 6km N Munnar, 1700m | Kodalar Tea Estate | 10’06N/77’04E | 14.– 15.4.1997 leg. | Schintlm. & Siniaev | Bergregenwald 14°С” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 324/2017 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( MWM / ZSM).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10.5 mm in the holotype male. Miltochrista kerala sp. n. is externally reminiscent of M. aurora and M. monoklina sp. n. but differs from the former one in the more diffuse forewing pattern, and from the latter one in the narrower forewing with a more diffuse pattern from. The male genitalia structure is most similar to M. monoklina sp. n., the detailed comparison is provided above in the diagnosis of the latter species.

The female is unknown.

Distribution. South India (Kerala).

Etymology. The specific epithet is homonymic of the state of Kerala, from where the new species is known. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 28–42. Miltochrista (28–37) and Arctelene (38–42) spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 28–30, 32–35, and 42 in MWM/ZSM; 31, 38–41 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 36 and 37 in ZFMK.

Figures 51–54. Miltochrista spp.: male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.