Nephelomilta pusilla
Creators: name: Volynkin, Anton V.
name: Černý, Karel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Arctiidae
Nephelomilta
Nephelomilta pusilla

description: Nephelomilta pusilla (Wileman, 1910), comb. & stat. nov.
(Figs. 65–68, 113, 143)
Chionaema pusilla WILemAN, 1910, The Entomologist 43: 177 (Type LOCALITy: [TAIwAN] “fROm KANShIReI”).
Type material examined. Lectotype (designated herein) (Fig. 65): ♂, “ ♂ (hanwritten) [Taiwan] Kanshirei, Formosa, 1,000 ft. (printed), 22.IV.1906 (hanwritten), A.E. Wileman. (printed)” / printed label “ Wileman Coll. B.M. 1929–261” / hanwritten label “ Chionaema pusilla Type ♂ sp. n.” / hanwritten label “758T+” / round printed label with a red circle “ Type ” / printed label with QR-code “ NHMUK010597961 ” (Coll. NHMUK).
Other material examined. 1 ♂, [Taiwan] Formosa, Kanshirei, 1.IV.1909, A.E. Wileman [leg.], 1913-180, slide BMNH (E) Arct-6541 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK); 1 ♀, Paling, Taoyuan Hsien, Taiwan, 2.VIII.1985, A. Kawabe / Inoue Coll. B.M. 1992-71, slide BMNH (E) Arct-6540 ♀ Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK); 4 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Taitung, 4 km N of Tupan, 390 m, 14.VII.1997, 120°52’E, 22°28’N, leg. Tibor Csȏvári & László Mikus, slide MWM 31634 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 3 ♂, 3 ♀, same locality and collectors, but 3.VII.1997 (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 3 ♂, 4 ♀, Taiwan, Prov. Taitung, 7 km E of Taimali, 710 m, 13.VII.1997, 120°53’’E, 22°35’’N, lg. Csővari & Mikus (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 7 ♂, 3 ♀, same locality and collectors, but 4.VII.1997 (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 2 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Taitung, 350 m, 3 km W village Hungyeh, 5.VII.1997, 120°52’’E, 22°28’’N, leg. Csȏvari & Mikus (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♀, same locality and collectors, but 12.VII.1997 (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 3 ♂, 2 ♀, Taiwan, Prov. Taitung, Chihpen Hot Springs, 400 m, 6.VII.1997, leg. B. Herczig & S. T. Kovács (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 3 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Ping-Tung, 5 km W of Chipen, 470 m, 27–28.IV.1997, leg. Gy. Fábián & S. Kovács, slide MWM 31635 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 3 ♂, same locality, but 15–16.V.1997, leg. Gy.M. László & G. László (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 2 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Ping-Tung, 10 km SE of Mutan, 470 m, 26.IV.1997, leg. Gy. Fábián & S. Kovács (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 2 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Ping-Tung, Huang-Lian Forest Recreation Area, 210 m, 6.III.1996, leg. Gy. Fábián & L. Németh (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Ping-Tung, 300 m, Kenting N.P., Kenting Forest Recreation Area, 21°57’62’’N, 120°48’89’’E, 17–18.IV.1997, leg. L. Peregovits & A. Kun (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♀, Taiwan, Prov. Nan-Tou, 15 km N of Puli, Uisun Forest Area, 500 m, 09-10.VII.1996, leg. G. Csorba et L. Németh, slide MWM 31636 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 4 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Nantou, 16 km E of Kuohsing, 121°00’E, 24°05’N, 560 m, Uisun Forest, 24.V.1997, leg. C. Szaboky & I. Soos (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♂, Taiwan, Prov. Nantou, 3 km E of Tili, 120°58’E, 23°47’N, 555 m, 27–28.V.1997, leg. C. Szaboky & I. Soos (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).
Remark. In the original description, Wileman (1910) mentions two specimens, a male with the date “ April 22nd, 1906 ” and a female with the date “ May 2nd, 1907 ”, which should be treated as syntypes. We did not find the female specimen in the NHMUK collection. Therefore, to avoid any confusion with N. karenkonis, here we designate the male syntype as the lectotype.
Diagnosis. The species significantly varies in size: the length of forewing is 9–11 mm in males and 13–13.5 mm in females. Nephelomilta pusilla is most similar externally to N. fangae sp. nov., and can be distinguished from it only by the genitalia structure (see the diagnosis of N. fangae sp. nov.). The male genitalia of N. pusilla are very similar to those of N. angkorensis, but differ in the shorter apical costal lobe, the significantly larger distal membranous lobe of the valve, the slightly larger ventral-apical costal process, the significantly larger area of the basal dentation of the costa, the smaller ampulla, the slightly smaller subapical saccular process, the narrower and more weakly sclerotized carinal plate of the aedeagus with the smaller thorns, the significantly broader distal diverticulum with the broader cluster of spines, which are more robust than those in N. angkorensis, and the narrower medial diverticulum with the smaller spines on its tip. The female genitalia of N. pusilla are similar to those of N. angkorensis, but differ in the antevaginal plate slightly longer, narrower, and more heavily sclerotized, the symmetric lateral margins of the ostium bursae, and the slightly broader appendix bursae.
Distribution. Endemic to Taiwan Island.
description: Published as part of Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2018, Revision of the genus Nephelomilta Hampson, 1900, with descriptions of twelve new species and two new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), pp. 401-451 in Zootaxa 4472 (3) on pages 420-421, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4472.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1452626