Siccia chilambwe, 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 : 48-49

Siccia chilambwe sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DEB60BBE-0B16-4233-BE6A-9027755D6A96

( Figs 103, 104 , 351, 352 , 483 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 103 , 351 ): male, “ Zambia 1420m | Chilambwe Falls, Kafubu River | 09°50'13''S, 30°43'35''E | 8–12.ii.2019 Actinic Light Trap | Dérozier, V., Mulvaney, L., | Smith, R., Takano, H. Leg. | ANHRT:2019.4” / “ANHRTUK | 00139646” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV6574 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. ZAMBIA: 1 male, 1460m, Mutinondo Wilderness Area, Mpika , Northern Province, 12˚27'06''S, 31˚17'30''E, 16–20.iii.2017, Actinic Light Trap, Oram, D., Miles, W., Smith, L. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 1300m, Nyangombe Falls (Miombo / Riverine forest mosaic), 11˚48'25''S, 24˚32'12''E, 15–17.xi.2018, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., László, G., Oram, D. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV5237 ( ANHRT) ; CAMEROON: 2 females, 1246m, Adamawa Region, Adamawa Plateau, 7.3km West of Bazanga, Chute De Tello , 07˚13'50.6''N, 13˚56'29.2''E, 24–30.ix.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, H. leg. gen. prep. No.: AV5657 ( ANHRT) ; UGANDA: 1 male, Mpigi, Mpanga Forest , 25– 30.xi.2014, W. Mey leg., gen. prep. No.: AV5327 ( MfN) ; 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.: AV6649 ( AKW) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 10.5–12.0 mm in males and 11.5–12.0 mm in females. Siccia chilambwe is externally reminiscent of S. atriguttata having fundamentally different genitalia in both sexes but distinguished by the somewhat broader forewing with larger black spots on costal and outer margins. The male genital capsule of the new species is most similar to the externally dissimilar S. foya but differ in the larger medial thorn of the medial costal process, and the more robust cucullus bearing markedly larger claw-shaped apical processes. The phallus of S. chilambwe is somewhat longer than in S. foya (in proportion to the tegumen-vinculum complex). Compared to S. foya , the vesica of the new species is broader and has an additional utricular medial-distal diverticulum. The female genitalia of S. chilambwe are most similar to S. ziela and the detailed comparison is provided above in the diagnosis of the latter species.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from five specimens is in the range of 0.00–1.71%. The nearest neighbour of S. chilambwe is S. foya differing by 2.35–4.14%.

Distribution. The new species is known from Zambia, Cameroon, Uganda and western Kenya.

Etymology. The specific epithet is homonymic of the type locality of the new species, Chilambwe Falls. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 95–111. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 95–105 and 107–111 in ANHRT; 106 in GMF-B.

Figures 349–352. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 349–351 in ANHRT; 352 in AKW.

Figures 479–483. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 479 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 480 in GMF-B; 481–483 in ANHRT.