Siccia bicultula, 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 : 61-62

Siccia bicultula sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4893CF42-C2BA-4D40-AA5C-72ED7DCD924E

( Figs 149–152 , 381, 382 , 497 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 149 , 381 ): male, “ Liberia 530m | Lofa County, Foya Proposed | Protected Area | 7°56'36''N, 10°16'36''W | 10–19.xi.2017 | MV Light Trap (125w) | Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., | Simonics, G., & Smith, L., leg. | ANHRT:2017.33” / “ANHRTUK | 00020120” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV4610 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. LIBERIA: 7 males, the same data as holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: AV4470, AV4471, AV4537, AV4609, AV4611, AV6557 ( ANHRT) ; GUINEA: 2 males, 540–600m, 619km ESE of Conakry, Nzerekore Region, Prefecture Lola, Ziela env., x.2017, 7°42'N, 8°21'W, Local collectors leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 700m, Guinée Forestiére, Monts Nimba UNESCO World Heritage Site , Serengbara Village to Yie River Valley ( Lowland Forest-Farmland ), 07°36'56''N, 08°26'54''W, 1–8.vii.2019, UV Cold Cathode Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, Sz., Warner, R. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, Konakry [Conakry], Macenta Prefecture, Ziama Forest , 550m, Mt. Nimba , May 2017, G.C. Müller, V.D. Kravchenko & G. Petrányi leg. ( GMF-B) ; 4 males, 2 females, the same data as previous but May 2017 ( GMF-B) ; IVORY COAST: 3 males, 1 female, 40m, Banco National Park , 05°23’3.8''N, 04°03'11.2''W, 29.xi.– 5.xii.2019, MV & LepiLED Light Traps, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6613, AV6614 (males), AV6606 (female) ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 1 female, 60m, Parc National d’Azagny, entrée Sonaye ( Secondary forest ), 05°14'32''N 04° 4°48'05''W, 25–28.xi.2021, MV light trap, Moretto, P., Mulvaney, L., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 174m, Taï NP, Taï Research Station ( SRET) , 05˚49'59.8''N, 07˚20'32.0''W, 14–23.xi.[20]15, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV3181 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, Danane , 23–24.iv.[19]82, Dr Politzar leg. ( GMF-B) ; GHANA: 1 male, Ashanti, 35 km E of Kumasi, 3 km NE of Kubease , 6°42'N, 1°20'W, 05.iv. 2014, 240m, J. & W. De Prins leg. / De Prins Coll. BMNH (E) 2014-125, unique number: NHMUK010915995, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314591 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 03.iv.2014, unique number: NHMUK010605662, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010315277 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 female, the same data as previous but 04.iv.2014, unique number: NHMUK010915996, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314592 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 08.iv.2014, unique number: NHMUK010605654, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010315269 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 09.iv.2014, unique number: NHMUK010605655, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010315270 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 27.iii.2014, unique number: NHMUK010605661, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010315276 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 9.0– 10.5 mm in males and 10.5 mm in the female. Siccia bicultula is externally very similar to S. nzame , S. kota and S. akanthodis , and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genital capsule of the new species is most similar to S. kota but distinguished by the ventral costal lobe having two elongate blade-shaped medial processes, of which the outer one is the longest, protruding beyond the ventral margin of the valva. Additionally, in S. bicultula , the ventral lobe of the cucullus is basally broader than in S. kota , and the postero-sublateral processes of the juxta are lobular and dentate whereas they are triangular and thorn-like in the congener. The phalli of the two species are alike. The vesica structure of the new species is very similar to S. kota but differs in the narrower main chamber. In the female genitalia, S. bicultula differs from S. kota in the narrower ductus bursae bearing a narrower posterior sclerotised plate and the finer spinulose scobination anteriorly. Additionally, compared to S. kota , the new species has a posterior section of the corpus bursae bearing finer spinulose scobination, and a narrower but somewhat longer lateral subostial lobes.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from 11 sampled specimens is in the range of 0.00–0.46%. The nearest neighbour of S. bicultula is S. akanthodis with a pairwise distance of 3.98–4.48%.

Distribution. The new species is known from Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ‘cultulus’ meaning ‘small knife’ and refers to the two slender blade-shaped medial processes of the ventral costal lobe. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 149–162. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 149, 150, 152–154, and 162 in ANHRT (154 and 162: ex AKW); 155–159 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 160 in ZSM; 161 in AKW.

Figures 381–384. Siccia spp., male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT (384: ex AKW).

Figures 496–499. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 496 and 497 in ANHRT; 498 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 499 in AKW.