Miltochrista fascicornuta Volynkin, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Volynkin, Anton V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Arctiidae
Miltochrista
Miltochrista fascicornuta

description: Miltochrista fascicornuta Volynkin, sp. nov.
(Figs. 1, 9)
Type material. Holotype (Figs. 1, 9): male, X.2015, South Vietnam, Lam Dong province, Laс Duong district, Tay Nguyen Highlands, Nui Ba National Park, leg. Vo Van Nhon, slide AV 1595m Volynkin (Coll. NHM, ex coll. CAV). Five paratypes: 3 males, with the same label as the holotype (Coll. CAV); 2 males, same locality and collector, but XI.2015 (Coll. CAV). Slide AV 2370m Volynkin.
Diagnosis. The closest relatives of the new species are M. cuneifera from Sundaland and M. obliquilinea from East India. Externally, M. fascicornuta sp. nov. (Fig. 1) differs from M. cuneifera (Fig. 2) by the slightly larger size, the darker forewing ground color, the longer strokes in the subbasal area, the medial fascia stronger wavy on veins Cu and A1, and the postmedial fascia stronger dentate; from M. obliquilinea (Fig. 3) differs by the smaller size, the darker forewing ground color, longer strokes in the subbasal area, the not interrupted antemedial fascia, the medial fascia stronger curved on vein A1, and the postmedial fascia slightly stronger dentate. In male genitalia, M. fascicornuta sp. nov. (Fig. 9) differs from M. cuneifera (Figs. 10, 11) by the narrower uncus, shorter apical lobe of valva, narrower base of distal costal extension, broader aedeagus, broader vesica having the very large ventral diverticulum, smaller medio-lateral diverticulum, and presence of a large apical bunch of numerous robust spine-like cornuti of different size, whereas in M. cuneifera the vesica has smaller number of cornuti arranged around it; from M. obliquilinea (Fig. 12), it differs by the costa without apical protrusion, distal saccular process longer and stronger curved, broader vesica having the very large ventral diverticulum, smaller medio-lateral diverticulum, and presence of the large bunch of apical bunch of numerous robust spine-like cornuti of different size, whereas in M. obliquilinea the vesica has a distal bunch of 4–6 cornuti only. Externally, M. fascicornuta sp. nov. also resembles M. areolifera (Holloway, 2001), comb. nov. from Borneo (Figs. 5, 17), M. kontumica (Dubatolov & Bucsek, 2013), comb. nov. from Vietnam (Figs. 4, 18), M. peloa (Swinhoe, 1904), comb. nov. from Sundaland (Figs. 6, 14), M. lutara from Indochina and Sundaland (Figs. 7, 15), and M. classeigera (Holloway, 2001), comb. nov. from Sundaland (Figs. 8, 16). However, M. fascicornuta sp. nov. clearly differs from all these species by its darker forewing ground color with stronger pattern, longer longitudinal strokes in the subbasal area, more round-like curved antemedial fascia, and male genitalia structure. The male genitalia of M. fascicornuta sp. nov. also resembles those of M. dasara (Moore, [1860]), comb. nov. (Fig. 13), but differs in the valvae distally narrower and more curved dorsally, distal saccular extension more robust and apically curved, and in the vesica structure.
Description ♂. Adult (Fig. 1). Length of forewing 10–11 mm in males. Male antennae finely ciliate. Head dark yellow, frons with one large black spot. Thorax dark yellow, with two black spots medially. Anterior section (1/3 of length) of abdomen covered by long pale yellow scales, posterior section (2/3 of length) covered by long black hair-like scales. Distal half of male forewing costa strongly curved compared to proximal half, venation modified: most of radial veins strongly curved, these radial veins and M1 protruding in costal curvature. Forewing ground color dark yellow; pattern black, consists of spots and transverse fasciae. Antemedial fascia strongly curved, weakly W-like wavy on veins Cu and A1; subbasal area with four large longitudinal strokes; medial fascia curved outwardly, weakly W-like wavy on veins Cu and A1; cell with comma-like spot in apical part; postmedial fascia strongly and irregularly dentate on veins; subterminal area with row of dot-like spots on veins. Cilia dark yellow. Ground color of hindwing pale yellow, pattern not expressed; cilia pale yellow. Male genitalia (Fig. 9). Uncus long, narrow, curved, flattened laterally, pointed apically. Tegumen broad; manica broad, setose; juxta broad, shield-like; vinculum broad, U-like. Valva elongated and narrow, costa knoll-like curved in medial part, distal costal extension not expressed; apical lobe of valva long, broad, rounded apically; sacculus broad, moderately sclerotized, its medial section setose, saccular extension long and robust, curved dorsally, pointed apically. Aedeagus moderately long, broad; vesica broad, with one very large conical membranous ventral diverticulum, two large medio-lateral diverticuli and two small medio-dorsal diverticuli with granulation, and large apical bunch of numerous robust spine-like cornuti of different size.
Female unknown.
Distribution. This species is known from South Vietnam.
Etymology. The specific epithet fascicornuta refers to the presence of a large bunch of cornuti in vesica.
description: Published as part of Volynkin, Anton V., 2017, Description of a new species of Miltochrista Hübner from Vietnam, with eight new combinations (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), pp. 145-150 in Zootaxa 4286 (1) on pages 145-150, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4286.1.13, http://zenodo.org/record/828284