Taxonomic review of the Miltochrista hollowai and M. curvifascia species-groups with descriptions of two new species from India (Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini) Author Singh, Santosh Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, 147002, Punjab, India & Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, West Bengal, India Author Kirti, Jagbir Singh 0000-0002-9670-5931 Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, 147002, Punjab, India & prjagbir 2005 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 9670 - 5931 prjagbir2005@gmail.com Author Joshi, Rahul 0000-0001-8514-1272 Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, West Bengal, India & joshiarctiidae @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 8514 - 1272 joshiarctiidae@gmail.com Author Singh, Navneet 0000-0002-6657-7983 Zoological Survey of India, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, West Bengal, India & nsgill 007 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6657 - 7983 nsgill007@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2023 2023-07-07 5315 2 150 160 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5315.2.4 journal article 58753 10.11646/zootaxa.5315.2.4 8ea6c36e-005e-4388-908e-4fa4595734d4 1175-5326 8130372 9045A8E6-6DEB-4367-A6CF-D14E90AA760A Miltochrista paraarcuata N. Singh & Kirti, 2016 ( Figs 10–16 , 26–30, 32 ) Miltochrista paraarcuata Singh & Kirti, 2016: 104 ( Type locality: Karnataka , Ganeshgudi ) Type material examined. Holotype , ♂, India , Karnataka : Ganeshgudi , 13.ix.2007 , N. Singh leg. (11863/H10). Other material examined. India , Karnataka : Ganeshgudi , 13.ix.2007 , 2 ♂, N. Singh leg. (11863a/H10) , 14.ix.2007 , 1 ♂, N. Singh leg. (11864/H10), 13.x.2005 , 1 ♂, N. Singh leg. (11866/H10); 13.x.2005 , 1 ♀ , N. Singh leg. (11867/H10); Bhagavati , 11.xi.2003 , 1 ♂, N. Singh leg. (11865/H10) ; Jog falls , 22.x.2009 , 1 ♀ , R . Joshi leg. (11872/H10) ; Dandeli , 28.x.2009 , 1 ♂, R . Joshi leg. (11873/H10) ; Ramnagar , 29.x.2009 , 1 ♂, R . Joshi leg. (11874/ H10) ; Kulagi , 16.vii.2004 , 2 ♂, 1 ♀ , N. Singh leg. (11878/H10) ; Kerala : Chethalayam , 19.xi.2017 , 1 ♂, 1 ♀ S. Singh leg. (11862/H10) ; Mananthavady , 25.vii.2013 , 1 ♂, Rahul Ranjan leg. (11876/H10) , 11.xi.2017 , 1 ♀ , S. Singh leg. (11859/H10); Attappadi , 16.viii.2017 , 2 ♂, 1 ♀ , S. Singh leg. (11868/H10) ; 17.viii.2017 , 1 ♂, S. Singh leg. (11869/H10); Periyar , 13.viii.2017 , 1 ♂, S. Singh leg. (11870/H10) ; Parambikulam , 2.xi.2017 , 2 ♂, S. Singh leg. (11858/H10) , 2.xi.2017 , 1 ♂, S. Singh leg. (11871/H10); Ranipuram , 2 ♂, 21.xi.2017 , S. Singh leg. (11861/H10) ; Kottiyoor , 16.xi.2017 , 1 ♀ , S. Singh leg. (11860/H10); Silent valley , 16.xi.2017 , 2 ♂, 5 ♀ , S. Singh leg. (11856/ H10) , 16.viii.2017 , 1 ♂, 1 ♀ , S. Singh leg. (11857/H10); Tamil Nadu : Salem , Kalrayan Hills , 16.x.2019 , 1 ♂, 1 ♀ , Rahul Joshi leg. (11882/H10); Yercaud , 18.x.2019 , 1 ♀ , Rahul Joshi leg. (11883/H10); Kolli hills, 13.x.2019 , 1 ♂, Rahul Joshi leg. (11884/H10); Goa : Ponda , 28.ii.2004 , 2 ♂, N. Singh leg. (11875/H10); Odisha : Gajapati , Gumma , 11.ix.2018 , 1 ♂, N. Singh and party leg. (11879/H10); Barbara Forest Guest House, 29.ix.2021 , 1 ♂, S.K. Shah and party leg. (11881/H10), 30.ix.2021 , 1 ♂, S.K. Shah and party leg. (11880/H10) . FIGURES 17–20. Miltochrista spp. : male genitalia. 17, M. hollowai ♂, India, Gujarat, Saputara; 18, M. hollowai , ♂, India, Gujarat, Waghai; 19, M. madathumala holotype ♂, India, Kerala, Ranipuram; 20, M. madathumala paratype ♂, India, Kerala, Ranipuram (NZCZSI). FIGURES 21–24. Miltochrista spp. : male genitalia. 21, M. kumarkaustubhi holotype, ♂, India, Karnataka, Ganeshgudi; 22, M. curvifascia ♂, India, Tamil Nadu, Thalamalai (NZCZSI); 23, M. curvifascia ♂, India, Odisha, Gajapati, Gumma (NZCZSI); 24, M. curvifascia ♂, India Kerala, Naduvattum (NZCZSI). FIGURES 25–28. Miltochrista spp. ; male genitalia: 25, M. pseudoarcuata holotype, ♂, India, Karnataka, Ganeshgudi (NZCZSI); 26, M. paraarcuata holotype ♂, India, Karnataka, Ganeshgudi (NZCZSI); 27, M. paraarcuata , Kerala, Chethalayam (NZCZSI); 28, M. paraarcuata , Kerala, Chethalayam (NZCZSI). FIGURES 29–32. 29–30. Miltochrista spp. male genitalia: 29, M. paraarcuata ♂, India, Kerala, Parambikulam (NZCZSI); 30, M. paraarcuata ♂ India, Kerala, Silent valley (NZCZSI); 31–32. Miltochrista spp. female genitalia: 36, M. curvifascia ♀, India, Tamil Nadu (NZCZSI); 37, M. paraarcuata ♀, India, Kerala, Silent valley (NZCZSI). Diagnosis. Miltochrista paraarcuata displays a range of variation in external morphology and in the male genitalia. The forewing markings vary greatly: the medial band ranges from narrow and angled in middle ( Figs 10, 16 ) to broad and obliquely straight ( Figs 11, 12 ), postmedial series of streaks may be present ( Fig. 11 ), or may be diffused into a broad medial band ( Fig. 12 ). Hindwing ranges from unornamented ( Figs 10–13 ) to hindwing with a medial band ( Fig.14 ). In male genitalia, the distal saccular process varies greatly in size and position of spinal appendages ( Figs 26–30 ). Similarly, the distal costal process ( Fig. 27 ) is quite long and robust in few specimens as compared to the other ones. Female genitalia diagnosed under M. curvifascia . Distribution. Karnataka ( Kirti & Singh 2016 , Singh et al. 2021 ); Kerala , Tamil Nadu , Odisha , Goa (present study).