Siccia robusta, 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 : 90-91

Siccia robusta sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9A4B02D8-3A4F-43AA-8CBF-82667973663E

( Figs 251, 252 , 440 , 525 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 251 , 440 ): male, “ Zambia 1205m | Zambezi Rapids (Miombo / | Riverine forest mosaic) | 11°7'30''S, 24°11'6''E | 4–9.xi.2018 Actinic Light Trap | Aristophanous, M., Derozier, V., | Laszlo, G., Oram, D. Leg. | ANHRT:2018.40” / “ANHRTUK | 00058645” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV5151 ♂ | A. Volynkin ( ANHRT).

Paratype: ZAMBIA: female, 1147m, Lukwakwa, West Lunga NP. ( Cryptosepalum forest/Dambo), 12°39'40''S 24°26'13''E, 9–15.xi.2018, Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., László, G., Oram, D. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV5689 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7.0 mm in the male holotype and 6.5 mm in the female paratype. Siccia robusta is externally reminiscent of S. pallens but distinguished by the somewhat more convex costal margin of the forewing, the paler, milky white forewing ground colour, the thinner pattern elements of the forewing, and the markedly paler hindwing. The male genital capsule of the new species differs from S. pallens and S. tridens in the apically pointed uncus (it is apically trilobate in the congeners), the distally broader valva with a more medially convex dorsal margin, the markedly broader and apically rounded cucullus (it is apically pointed in the congeners), and the more robust spinules on the ventral margin of the ventral costal lobe. The phallus of S. robusta bears a dentate plate distally-laterally whereas in the aforementioned congeners, it has a weakly serrulate cluster instead. The vesica of S. robusta differs from S. pallens and S. tridens in the shorter and narrower subbasal diverticulum, the longer and broader proximal lateral diverticulum having an additional basal lobe bearing a longer cluster of robust spines, the presence of the medial diverticulum, and the shorter but broader distal diverticulum. In the female genitalia, the new species is distinguished from the aforementioned congeners by the broader and less anteriorly tapered antrum, the broader ductus bursae, the broader corpus bursae, and the appendix bursae bearing finer spinulose scobination proximally and situated antero-laterally whereas the appendices bursae of the similar species are positioned laterally. The diagnostic comparison with S. ndoki is provided below in the diagnosis of the latter species.

Molecular data. As only a single specimen was sequenced in this study, the intraspecific variability of COI-5P sequences of this species could not be calculated. Among sequenced species of the group, the nearest neighbour of S. robusta is S. tridens at a pairwise distance of 3.64%.

Distribution. The new species is known from two localities in North-Western Province of Zambia.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the more robust valva in comparison to the similar S. pallens and S. tridens . The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 240–262. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 240 in NHRS (©NHRS, photo by T. Malm); 241 and 243 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 242 in AKW; 244–246 in MWM/ZSM; 247–262 in ANHRT.

Figures 438–441. Siccia spp., male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 521–525. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 521, 524 and 525 in ANHRT; 522 in AKW; 523 in MWM/ZSM.