Siccia synthetia, 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 : 32

Siccia synthetia sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7A6B8E9F-5006-40CC-A830-A53275454EC1

( Figs 57–59 , 317–320 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 57 , 317 ): male, “ Liberia 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. | ANHRT:2017.33” / “ANHRTUK | 00145023” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV6555 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. LIBERIA: 1 male, 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., gen. prep. No.: AV5047 ( ANHRT) ; GABON: 9 males, the same data as holotype, MV, LepiLED & Actinic Light Traps, gen. prep. Nos.: AV6552, AV6618, AV6621, AV6622, AV6623 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 10m, Nyonié ( Lowland forest ), 0˚2'22''S, 9˚20'25''E, 23–28.viii.2019, MV Light Trap, Albert, J.-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6553 ( ANHRT) ; REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 3 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, LepiLED, MV & Actinic Light Traps, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6939 ( 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 light traps, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 17 males, 365m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N 16°16'25.82''E, 07–14.ii.2023, MV, LepiLED & actinic light traps, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 352m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mombongo camp, 02°10'30.7''N 16°8'37.7''E, 02–07.ii.2023, actinic light trap, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 6.0–7.0 mm in males. Siccia synthetia is externally reminiscent of S. carinata but distinguished by the slightly larger size, the darker ground colour of both wings, and the somewhat larger spots of the forewing pattern. The male genital capsule of the new species is similar to S. carinata but differs in the narrower uncus, the narrower valva, which is more dilated distally and with a broader cucullus, and the shorter distal saccular process. The phallus of S. synthetia is clearly different from S. carinata by the markedly more robust dorsal carinal process, and the presence of two additional distal processes: one short and broadly triangular, and the ventral carinal one apically rounded. Compared to S. carinata , the vesica of the new species has a lateral basal diverticulum bearing a semicircular, dentate lateral lobe. Additionally, the main chamber of the vesica of S. synthetia is conical whereas it is semiglobular in the aforementioned congener. The detailed comparison of the phallus with S. kastanota is provided below in the diagnosis of the latter species.

The female is unknown.

Molecular data. The Gabonese and West African populations of S. synthetia largely diverge from each other by 5.29–5.46% whereas the intrapopulational divergences of COI-5P sequences calculated from six specimens from Gabon and two specimens from Liberia are in the range of 0.00–0.31% and 0.00%, respectively. However, these populations display no recognisable morphological differences therefore it is impossible to consider them as two different taxa. The pairwise distances between S. synthetia and S. carinata are in the range of 5.78–8.21% whereas S. conicarina diverges from the current new species by 8.47–9.17%.

Distribution. The new species is known from Liberia, Gabon, and Republic of the Congo.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek ‘σύνθετη’ meaning ‘complex’ and refers to the complex structure of the phallus. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 45–62. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 45–52, 54–60 and 62 in ANHRT; 53 and 61 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 317–320. Siccia spp., male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.