Siccia grossagranularis Kühne, 2007

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 : 36-37

Siccia grossagranularis Kühne, 2007

( Figs 71–73 , 327, 328 , 474 )

Siccia grossagranularis Kühne, 2007 , Esperiana Memoir , 3: 377, figs 94, 188 (Type locality: Kenya, Western Prov., Kakamega Forest , ca. 0°21.3'N 34°21.3'E).

Type material examined. Paratype: male, Kenya, Western Prov. , Kakamega Forest N.R., W Byango Hill, 1600m, 1.x.2002, light trap (12), 0˚20.91'N 34˚51.71' E, L. Kühne leg., gen. prep. No.: AV4838 ( MfN) .

Additional material examined. GABON: 2 males, 430m, Mikongo (Rougier) , Monts de Cristal ( Secondary Forest ), 0˚29'47''N, 11˚10'42''E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, Actinic Light Trap, Albert, J.-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6545, AV6620 ( ANHRT) ; REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 2 males, 372m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp ( Gilbertiodendron forest), 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 1–10.x.2022, MV & Actinic Light Traps, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6935, AV6936 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 365m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N 16°16'25.82''E, 07–14.ii.2023, LepiLED light trap, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 4 males, 372m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 14–20.ii.2023, MV & actinic light traps, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; DRC: 1 male, Salonga National Park , 02°45'22.79''S 20°18'55.56''E, Ekongo Camp, December 2016, V.D. Kravchenko & G.C. Müler ( GMF-B) ; 3 males, the same data as previous but January 2017 ( GMF-B) ; 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, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8w), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV5307 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7.0– 8.5 mm in males and 7.5 mm in the female. Siccia grossagranularis is externally very similar to S. perigraphoides and S. dilova , and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The current species is also reminiscent of S. orbiculata but differs in the slightly smaller size, the somewhat more distinct forewing markings, and the darker hindwing. The genitalia of the two species are fundamentally different in both sexes. The diagnostic comparisons with S. perigraphoides and S. dilova are provided below in the diagnoses of these species. The male genital capsule of S. grossagranularis is also vaguely similar to S. nepa but distinguished by the narrower valva with a markedly shorter process of the cucullus, and the shorter uncus. Compared to S. nepa , the phallus of S. grossagranularis is longer and broader, and the vesica is considerably broader, lacking the elongate diverticula, and bearing two clusters of robust graniculi. The female genitalia of S. grossagranularis differ from the other species in the species-group in the short and narrow ductus bursae, and the corpus bursae bears four broad clusters of robust spines whereas it is densely covered with numerous tiny spinules in the similar congeners.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from a male from Gabon and a female from Liberia is 2.51%. As the pairwise distances between other species of the species-group are longer, the aforementioned single female from Liberia is hereby provisionally assigned to S. grossagranularis . The species diverges from the next-closest sequenced congener, S. perigraphoides by 2.83–3.97%.

Distribution. The species is currently known from western Kenya ( Kühne 2007), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and possibly Liberia.

Figures

Figures 63–79. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 63, 64, 66 and 67 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 65, 71–79 in ANHRT; 68 in HNHM; 69 in MfN; 70 in GMF-B.

Figures 325–328. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 325 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 326 in HNHM; 327 in MfN; 328 in ANHRT.

Figures 474–478. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 474, 475, 477 and 478 in ANHRT; 476 in GMF-B.