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

description: Nephelomilta thomaswitti Volynkin & Černý, sp. nov.
(Figs. 50–52, 107, 108, 138)
Type material. Holotype (Figs. 50, 107): ♂, [NE India] “ Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga SE, 27°30'N, 88°20'E, 2600 m, 9–10.VIII.1995, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister”, slide MWM 31654 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).
Paratypes. INDIA: 3 ♂, the same data as in the holotype (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♂, Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga SE, 27°30'N, 88°20'E, 22–31.VII.1995, 2000 m, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 2 ♂, Sikkim, Pemayangtse, 22.VII.1995, 1900 m, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister, slide MWM 34451 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♂, India, W[est] B[engal], Darjeeling, 2100 m, 29.VII.1990, leg. W. Thomas (Coll. CKC); NEPAL: 3 ♂, East Nepal, Deorali Danda, Anpan, 1900 m, 6.VIII.2000, leg. Csővári & Hreblay, slide MWM 31663 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM); 1 ♀, East Nepal, Milke Danda, Gursa, 2100 m, 22.VIII.2000, leg. Csȏvari & Hreblay, slide MWM 31664 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).
Diagnosis. Length of forewing is 13–14 mm in males and 17.5 mm in females. This is one of the largest species within the genus. It is similar externally to the sympatric N. kanchenjunga sp. nov., and differs only in its slightly larger size, the slightly less curved postmedial line, and the slightly larger discal spots. In most cases the correct determination is possibble by the genitalia structure only. The male genitalia of N. thomaswitti sp. nov. are very different from those of N. kanchenjunga sp. nov. and are most similar to those of N. babensis and the ‘ N. pusilla species-complex’, especially to N. fangae sp. nov., but differ clearly from N. babensis in the significantly larger apical lobes of the juxta, the broader apical lobe of the costa, the broader ventral costal plate with the ampulla significantly larger and broadly trigonal, the presence of the weak basal dentation of the costa, the shorter but broader subapical saccular process, the smaller thorn on the carinal plate of the aedeagus, and the larger spines on the medial and distal diverticula of the vesica; from N. fangae sp. nov. they differ in the significantly larger apical lobes of the juxta, the valve slightly narrower medially, the broader apical lobe of the costa, the slightly narrower ventral-apical costal process, the slightly shorter ampulla, the presence of the weak basal dentation of the costa, the longer subapical saccular process, the smaller thorn on the carinal plate of the aedeagus, the shorter medial diverticulum of the vesica, and the larger spines on the medial and distal diverticula. The female genitalia of N. thomaswitti sp. nov. are very similar to those of N. babensis and differ in the slightly shorter antevaginal plate, the more weakly sclerotized margin of the ostium bursae, the narrower and more weakly sclerotized duscus bursae, the smaller appendix bursae, the larger spinules of the medial cluster of the corpus bursae, and the significantly larger signum; from N. fangae sp. nov. they differ in the significantly smaller antevaginal plate, the margin of the ostium bursae without V-shaped concavity, the less numerous spinules of the medial cluster of the corpus bursae, and the slightly larger signum.
Distribution. East Nepal and North-East India (Sikkim and north of West Bengal).
Etymology. The species name is dedicated to Dr. Thomas J. Witt (Munich, Germany), a famous lepidopterist and a founder of the Museum Witt Munich.
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 page 417, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4472.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1452626