Siccia foya, 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 : 46-47

Siccia foya sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FDA101F9-CE7B-4A8F-A55B-1345A1C215E8

( Figs 98, 99 , 349, 350 , 482 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 98 , 349 ): 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 | 00019885” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV4541 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. LIBERIA: 2 males, 1 female, the same data as holotype, MV (125w) and 8w Actinic Light Traps, gen. prep. Nos.: AV5665 (male), AV4612 (female) ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 611m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts , base camp forest, 8˚07'17''N, 9˚57'42''W, 20.xi.–01.xii.2017, MV Light Trap (125w), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV4625 ( ANHRT) ; 3 males, 1 female, 140m, Sinoe County, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Juboe River , 7.5km SW Pellokon Town, 5˚39'4''N, 8˚39'4''W, 14–20.i.2018, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV5671, AV5674, AV5675 (males), AV5673 (female) ( ANHRT) ; IVORY COAST: 4 males, 1 female, 39– 48m, Abidjan, Banco Forest (Parc-National du Banco), 05˚23'03.8''N, 04˚03'11.2''W, 21–30.iv.2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 6 males, 40m, Banco National Park , 05°23’3.8''N, 04°03'11.2''W, 29.xi.–5.xii.2019, Actinic, LepiLED & MV Light Traps, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6579, AV6626, AV6628, AV6629, AV6630 ( ANHRT) ; GABON: 6 males, 430m, Mikongo (Rougier) , Monts de Cristal ( Secondary Forest ), 0˚29'47''N, 11˚10'42''E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, Actinic & LepiLED Light Traps, Albert, J.-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6575, AV6576, AV6617 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 185m, Dilo ANPN camp, Ivindo ( Secondary forest ), 0˚14'1''S, 12˚17'49''E, 14– 19.viii.2019, LepiLED Light Trap, Albert, J.-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg. ( ANHRT) ; REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 2 males, 370m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp ( Moist mixed forest), 02°12'48.5''N, 16°23'45.6''E, 25.vi.2022, MV & Actinic Light Traps, Dérozier, V. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6871, AV6872 ( ANHRT) ; 9 males, 372m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 14–20.ii.2023, Actinic, MV & LepiLED light traps, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 352m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Ndoki formation ( Secondary forest ), 02°12'47.7''N, 16°23'45.8''E, 29.ix.–1.x.2022, Actinic light trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 341m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa camp ( Secondary forest ), 02°12'36.9''N 16°11'30.2''E, 10–16.x.2022, LepiLED Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 358m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa forest ( Secondary forest ), 02°11'58.1''N, 16°11'16.9''E, 17–23.ix. 2022, LepiLED L.T., Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; DRC: 1 male, Sankuru [Prov.]: Katako-Kombe , 29.xii.1951, Dr. Fontaine [leg.], gen. prep. No.: AV7013 ( RMCA) ; 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) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 6.5–7.5 mm in males and 7.5–9.0 mm in females. The new species is externally reminiscent of S. faucaria , S. duodecimpunctata and S. acornuta but distinguished by the pale ochreous suffusion on both wings. Additionally, the female hindwing of S. foya is markedly darker than in the aforementioned congeners. The male genital capsule of the new species is similar to S. kpelle and S. ziela but differs in the valva lacking the subapical dorsal costal fold and the hook-shaped cucullus bearing two equally long apical processes whereas one of those processes is considerably shorter than the other one in both the similar congeners. The phalli of the three species display no remarkable differences. The vesica of S. foya is similar to S. kpelle but has a longer medial-distal diverticulum. Compared to S. ziela , the vesica of the new species is markedly shorter and narrower, and lacking the subbasal dorsal diverticulum. The female genitalia of S. foya differ from those of S. kpelle and S. chilambwe in the narrower antrum with narrower lateral sclerotised plates, and the shorter and narrower corpus bursae lacking the signum. Additionally, the anterior sclerotised plate of the ductus bursae of S. foya is narrower than in the aforementioned congeners, and compared to S. kpelle , bears a medial longitudinal groove. The lateral subostial plates of S. chilambwe are broader than in S. kpelle and S. chilambwe .

Molecular data. Three populations of S. foya from Liberia, Ivory Coast and Gabon diverge genetically from each other at the level typical of species in the current group (2.19–4.14%) and, additionally, have been recovered in combination with the morphologically dissimilar S. chilambwe . However, these populations are morphologically indistinguishable from each other and are considered here to be belonging to the same species. The nearest neighbours of S. foya are S. chilambwe and S. kpelle differing by 2.35–4.14% and 3.96–6.32%, respectively.

Distribution. The species is currently known from Liberia, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Foya County of Liberia, where the holotype of the new species was collected. 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.