Miltochrista jatinga N. Singh, Volynkin, Cerny, Kirti, Datta & S. Singh 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Volynkin, Anton V.
name: Singh, Santosh
name: Černý, Karel
name: Kirti, Jagbir Singh
name: Datta, Harvinder Singh
name: Singh, Navneet
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Erebidae
Miltochrista
Miltochrista jatinga

description: Miltochrista jatinga N. Singh, Volynkin, Černý, Kirti, Datta & S. Singh, sp. nov.
(Figs 44–50, 115–117, 143)
Type material. Holotype (Figs 44, 115): ♂, [India] “ Assam: Dima Hasao: | Jatinga | 10.IX.2009 | Coll[ected by]: R. Joshi ” / printed red label “Holotype” / “♂” / handwritten green label “481” (NZCZSI).
Paratypes. INDIA: Mizoram: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Champhai, 650m, 26.ix.2009, R. Joshi leg. (NZCZSI); Meghalaya: 1 ♀, Pynursala, 10.ix.2014, 1350m, H.S. Datta leg. (NZCZSI); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Umran, 33 km N Shillong, 25°45’N 91°53’E, 8–11.XI.1997, 800m, V. Sinyaev, V., S. & M. Murzin leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV5402♂, AV5403♀ (CKC); MYANMAR: 1 ♂, Chin State, Mount Victoria, 2200–2500m, montane pine forest, mid-late X.2012, Dr V. Kravchenko & team leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6858♂ (CGM); THAILAND: 32 ♂, 10–12.VIII.2012, Chiang Mai Prov., Thong Chai Range, near Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, 700 m, 18°54’10.59’’N 98°51’46.05’’E, edge of secondary forest, local collector leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6895♂, AV6899♂, AV6900♂, AV6901♂, AV6902♂ (CAV); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Tak [Prov.], Doi Mussoe, 821m, 16°45.317’N, 98°55.438’E, 11.V.2008, K. Černý leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV8438♂, AV8439♂, AV8440♀ (CKC).
Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10.0– 10.5 mm in males and 12.0 mm in females. Miltochrista jatinga sp. nov. is superficially reminiscent of M. neoseriata but can be distinguished from it by the thicker longitudinal streaks and the medial line of the forewing, and the larger discal spot. However, in the genitalia of both sexes, the new species is similar to the partially sympatric M. zinchenkoi (Figs 51–53), from which M. jatinga sp. nov. is superficially differs in the narrower forewing, the longer longitudinal streaks in the ante- and postmedial areas, the oblique and less posteriorly curved medial line which is medially almost perpendicular the forewing axis in M. zinchenkoi, and the smaller discal spot well-separated from the medial line (it is almost touching the line in the congener). In the male genital capsule, M. jatinga sp. nov. is distinguished from M. zinchenkoi (Figs 118, 119) by the proximally narrower valva with a longer valvula, the triangular and apically pointed distal costal process (it is rounded in the congener), and the smoothly upcurved distal saccular process whereas it is upcurved at an almost right angle in M. zinchenkoi. In the phallus, the new species has a more downcurved coecum in comparison to the similar congener. The vesicae of the two species are similar but in M. jatinga sp. nov., the subapical cornutus is slightly thinner than in M. zinchenkoi. The female genitalia of the new species differ from M. zinchenkoi (Fig. 144) in the anteriorly broader ductus bursae, and the broader corpus bursae bearing thinner and more numerous spines along the inner margin of the postero-lateral sclerotised plate. Additionally, the lateral pockets of the 7 th sternite of the new species are broader than in M. zinchenkoi and are apically almost semicircular whereas they are bearing narrow triangular protrusions in the aforementioned congener.
Distribution. The new species is known from Northeast India (Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya), west Myanmar (Chin State) and Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai Province).
Etymology. The specific epithet is homonymic of the type locality. The name is a noun in nominative singular in apposition.
description: Published as part of Volynkin, Anton V., Singh, Santosh, Černý, Karel, Kirti, Jagbir Singh, Datta, Harvinder Singh & Singh, Navneet, 2025, On the taxonomy of the genus Miltochrista Hübner with descriptions of six new species from the Oriental Realm (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), pp. 401-445 in Zootaxa 5566 (3) on page 417, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5566.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14703099