Siccia ankistro, Volynkin, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Siccia Walker (= Aemene Walker, syn. n.) in the Afrotropics with descriptions of seventy-three new species, three new subspecies, and a check-list of Asiatic taxa of the genus (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 64, pp. 1-184 : 52-53

Siccia ankistro sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8D8F525C-D929-463E-A0C6-786B632672EB

( Figs 115–117 , 363, 364 , 489 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 115 , 363 ): male, “ Liberia 883m | Lofa County, Wologizi Mts., | Ridge Camp 2 | 8°7'20.70''N, 9°56'50.75''W | 22–31[30]. xi.2018 Cold Cathode | UV Light Trap (8W) | Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. Leg. | ANHRT:2018.43” / “ANHRTUK | 00060189” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV5106 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. LIBERIA: 1 female, 585m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts , Rosewood Camp, 8˚06'14.9''N, 9˚58'27.3''W, 18.xi.–1.xii.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6570 ( ANHRT) ; GABON: 3 males, 430m, Mikongo (Rougier) , Monts de Cristal ( Secondary Forest ), 0˚29'47''N, 11˚10'42''E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, LepiLED Light Trap, Albert, J.-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6569 ( ANHRT) ; KENYA: 1 male, Western Province, Kakamega Forest, Rondo Retreat , 1600m, 0°13.607'S, 34°53.120'E, 23–26.x.2019, A.J. Kingston, D.J.L. Agassiz, M. Ngugi leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6648 ( AKW) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 8.0–10.0 mm in males and 9.5 mm in the female. The new species is externally very similar to S. gypsia and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. In the male genital capsules of the two species, the valva configurations are similar but in S. ankistro , the cucullus has a medial incision distally, and the costa has a more proximally convex dorsal margin, bearing a thin but heavily sclerotised, hook-like upcurved basal process with a basal axis directed proximally. Compared to S. gypsia , the juxta of S. ankistro is markedly narrower, lacking the medial band-like processes, and having shorter and apically rounded postero-lateral processes, which are apically pointed in the congener. The phalli of the two species are very similar. The vesica of S. ankistro is somewhat narrower than in S. gypsia , bears an area of fine granulation instead of a broad cluster of spinules in S. gypsia , and bears two semielliptical membranous lateral diverticula and a subbasal multilobate diverticulum with four short subdiverticula. In the female genitalia, the new species differs clearly from S. gypsia in the markedly broader, strongly posteriorly dilated antrum with broader and longitudinally rugose lateral sclerotised margins separated from each other by the posteriorly dilated macrocellulate flexible area, which is fused with the similarly macrocellulate postero-lateral swellings representing the base of the corethrogyne. Additionally, compared to S. gypsia , the corpus bursae of S. ankistro is shorter and narrower, bearing sparser spinulose scobination only posteriorly (it is evenly densely covered with spinules in the congener), and a band-shaped weakly sclerotised signum with a few transverse folds.

Molecular data. The populations of S. ankistro from Liberia and Gabon diverge from each other by 1.40% whereas those populations are genetically uniform with 0.00% intrapopulational variability based on two sequenced specimens each. The morphologically closest S. gypsia diverges genetically from the new species by 3.65–3.98%.

Distribution. The new species is currently known from Liberia, Gabon and western Kenya.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek ‘άγκιστρο’ meaning ‘hook’ and refers to the robust hook-shaped basal process of the costa of the valva. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 112–124. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 112, 113 and 123 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 114–116, 121, 122 and 124 in ANHRT; 117 in AKW; 118 and 120 in MfN; 119 in GMF-B.

Figures 361–364. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 361 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 362 and 363 in ANHRT; 364 in AKW.

Figures 488–491. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 488, 489 and 491 in ANHRT; 490 in GMF-B.