Siccasura spatulata Volynkin & László, 2021

Volynkin, Anton V. & László, Gyula M., 2021, Siccasura, a new genus for the Afrasura numida (Holland, 1893) species-group, with descriptions of six new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 40, pp. 1-25 : 22-24

Siccasura spatulata Volynkin & László , sp. nov.

( Figs 21–24 , 49, 50 , 62 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 21 , 49 ): male, “ Gabon, 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. ANHRT: 2019.17”, unique number: ANHRTUK 00162921, gen. slide No.: AV6189 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes (115 males, 93 females in total). GABON : 46 males, 61 females, with the same data as in the holotype, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00139074–00139077, 00149663, 00149664, 00149676- 00149679, 00149681–00149683, 00149685, 00149687–00149694, 00149744–00149749, 00149750– 00149766, 00152568–00152571, 00152572–00152577, 00152579, 00152580, 00152581–00152587, 00152588–00152594, 00152596–00152599, 00152655–00152662, 00162900–00162920, 00162922, 00162923, 00165252, gen. slide Nos.: AV5934, AV5935, AV5936 (males), AV5947, AV5948, AV5949, AV5950, AV6121, AV6122, AV6123, AV6125, AV6126, AV6139 (females) ; 1 male, 2 females, same data but collected by LepiLED light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00155699–00155701 ; 3 males, Nyonié ( Coastal forest / grassland mosaic), 10m, 0°2'22"S, 9°20'25"E, 26.viii.2019, Actinic Light Trap, Albert, J- L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V ., Moretto , P. Leg. ANHRT : 2019.17, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00160563–00160565; 1 male, Dilo ANPN camp, Ivindo ( Secondary Forest ), 185m, 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:2019.17, unique number: ANHRTUK 00111339; 16 males, 6 females, Mikongo (Rougier), Monts de Cristal ( Secondary Forest ), 430m, 0°29'47"N, 11°10'42"E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, MV Light Trap, Albert , J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V ., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT:2019.17, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00110993, 00165235, 00165735, 00165739, 00167799, 00167800, 00168047, 00168063, 00168075, 00168076, 00192286, 00192510, 00192564, 00192570, 00192591, 00192593, 00192734, 00193413, 00193417, 00193427, 00193507, 00193513; 7 males, 2 females, same data but collected by LepiLED light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00107538, 00111202, 00137798, 00138968, 00142023, 00153076, 00153078, 00153079, 00155630, gen. slide Nos.: AV5931, AV5932 (males), AV5944 (female) ; 8 males, 2 females, same data but collected by Actinic light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00138682, 00138772, 00138792, 00138793, 00138780, 00142017, 00152734, 00158162, 00162648, 00163120, gen. slide Nos.: AV5933 (male), AV5945, AV6124 (females) ; 1 male, same data but collected by House light, unique number: ANHRTUK 00149366 ( ANHRT) . NIGERIA: 1 male, Warri , vi.[18]97 (Dr. Roth), Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1, unique number: NHMUK010318337 , gen. slide No. : NHMUK010314041 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) . CAMEROON: 1 male, 1 female, SW Cameroon, Dept. Meme, Ediki (S of Kumba) ca. 150m, 21.i.1995, LF, leg. Aistleitner, coll. de Freina, Museum Witt München, gen. slides No.: MWM 33872 (male) , MWM 33873 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ; 1 male, with the same data but 24.i.1995, gen. slide No.: MWM 33865 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) . LIBERIA: 12 males, 4 females, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area , 530m, 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, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00026269, 00026273, 00026287 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT017-20 /ANHRTUK-00026287), 00026306, 00026308, 00026311, 00026446, 00026467, 00026486, 00026500, 00037387 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT026-20 /ANHRTUK-00037387), 00037407, 00037553, 00037590, 00073644, 00142309, gen. slide Nos.: AV5222, AV5223 (males), AV5212, AV5794, AV6138, AV6141 (females) ; 1 female, same data but collected by 250 W blended bulb light trap, unique number: ANHRTUK 00145367, gen. slide No.: AV6140 ; 2 females, same data but collected by cold cathode light bucket trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00020487, 00026908 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT027- 20 /ANHRTUK-00026908), gen. slide Nos.: AV5792, AV6163 ; 5 males, 1 female, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts , base camp forest, 611m, 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, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00145131, 00020339, 00020342, 00020467, 00020468, 00026549, gen. slide No.: AV6152 (female); 1 female, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Rosewood Camp , 585m, 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., ANHRT : 2018.43, unique number: ANHRTUK 00070539 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT25-20 /ANHRTUK-00070539), gen. slide No.: AV5795 (female) ; 1 male, 1 female, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Ridge Camp 2, 883m, 8°07'20.79"N, 9°56'50.75"W, 22–30.xi.2018, Light Trap Blended Bulb (250W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00102329, 00102331, gen. slide No.: AV6150 (female); 1 male, Sinoe County, 6.5km NW of Jacksonville, Forest near Solve Problem Village , 103m, 5°26'25"N, 9°7'39.9"W, 23–27.i.2018, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2017.33, unique number: ANHRTUK 00095731; 5 males, 5 females, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Sinoe County, Juboe River , 7.5km SW Pellokon Town, 140m, 5°39'4"N, 8°39'4"W, 14–20.I.2018, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2017.33, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00095678, 00095682, 00095684, 00100805, 00100808, 00100810, 00100835, 00101848, 00101860, 00101870, gen. slide Nos.: AV6130, AV6131, AV6132, AV6133, AV6135 (females); 1 male, 1 female, same data but collected by 250W blended bulb light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00095327, 00095351, gen. slide No.: AV6129 (female) ; 1 male, same data but collected by cold cathode UV light bucket trap, unique number: ANHRTUK 00101061 ( ANHRT). IVORY COAST: 2 males, Tai NP, Tai Research Station , 174m, 05°49'59.8"N, 07°20'32.0"W, 14–23.XI.2015, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. leg., ANHRT : 2017.16, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00073595 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT016-20 /ANHRTUK-00073595), 00073645, gen. slide Nos.: AV3055, AV3064 ; 2 females, same locality and collectors, 5– 10.VII.2015, ANHRT : 2017.14, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00109047, 00109075, gen. slide Nos.: AV6167, AV6168 (females) ( ANHRT) . GUINEA: 1 male, 1 female, 619km ESE of Conakry, Nzerekore Region, Préfecture de Lola, Ziela env., 540–600m, 7°42'N; 8°21'W, x.2017, local collectors leg., ANHRT : 2020.6, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00167062, 00192426, gen. slide No.: AV6127 (female) ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 6–7.5 mm in males and 7–8 mm in females. The male genitalia of S. spatulata slightly vary in the width of the distal section of the valva costa, the length of the cucullus and the width of the tip of the ventro-distal process of the valva. Based on the configuration of the male and female genitalia, S. spatulata is a closely related sympatric sister species of T. morettoi . The distinctive characters are discussed under the diagnosis of the latter species.

Distribution. The species is currently known from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the spatulate tip of the ventro-distal process of the valva.

Remark. The female genitalia of the specimen identified as Afrasura numida from Nigeria illustrated by Durante (2009, fig. 66) in fact belong to S. spatulata .

Figures

Figures 17–24. Siccasura spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 17–22 and 24 in ANHRT; 23 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 47–50. Siccasura spp.: male genitalia. The specimens are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 61–66. Siccasura (61 and 62) and Afrasura (63–66) spp.: female genitalia. 63 is the type species of Afrasura. Depositories of the specimens: 61–64 and 66 in ANHRT; 65 in ZSM.