Siccia bilobata, 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 : 94-95

Siccia bilobata sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:237EA99C-5F00-404A-BA25-EB0562F9885B

( Figs 261–264 , 448, 449 , 527 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 261 , 448 ): male, “ Gabon 430m | Mikongo (Rougier) , Monts | de Cristal (Secondary forest) | 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” / “ANHRTUK | 00168013” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV6710 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. GABON: 5 males, the same data as holotype, LepiLED and Actinic Light Traps, gen. prep. Nos.: AV67111, AV6719 ( 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, Actinic Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6988, AV6992, AV6993 ( ANHRT) ; 3 males, 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., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6995, AV6996, AV6997 ( ANHRT) ; 4 males, 372m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 14– 20.ii.2023, actinic light trap, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV7033, AV7034, AV7038, AV7040 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 365m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N 16°16'25.82''E, 07–14.ii.2023, LepiLED light trap, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV7036 ( ANHRT) ; IVORY COAST: 1 male, 40m, Banco National Park , 05°23’3.8''N, 04°03'11.2''W, 29.xi.–5.xii.2019, Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV7000 ( ANHRT) ; LIBERIA: 1 male, 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, Cold Cathode UV Bucket Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV5690 (male), AV5691 (female) ( ANHRT) ; 2 males, 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. Nos.: AV5048, AV5172 ( ANHRT) ; GUINEA: 1 male, Konakry [Conakry], Macenta Prefecture, Ziama Forest , 550m, Mt. Nimba , November 2016, G. Petrányi, V.D. Kravchenko & G.C. Müller leg. ( GMF-B) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 5.5–6.0 mm in males and 5.0 mm in the female. Siccia bilobata is externally reminiscent of S. ndoki but distinguished by the somewhat smaller size, the pale ochreous forewing ground colour, and the more diffuse, brown cellular spots, of which the proximal one is smaller than the discal one whereas those spots are distinct, black and more or less equal in size in the congener. The male genitalia of the new species are similar to S. exilisioides and the detailed comparison is provided above in the diagnosis of the latter species. As the female of S. exilisioides is unknown, the female genitalia of S. bilobata were compared to those of the most similar S. pallens , from which the new species differs in the shorter antrum with parallel lateral margins (it is posteriorly dilated in the congener), and the longer corpus bursae with a long band-like cluster of robust spinules stretching obliquely through the posterior section of the corpus bursae whereas the corpus bursae of S. pallens is medially evenly covered with spinules. Additionally, the appendix bursae of S. bilobata is sack-like and situated laterally whereas it is conical and situated postero-laterally in S. pallens .

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from four sampled specimens is in the range of 0.00–0.46%. The pairwise distance between S. bilobata and the similar S. exilisioides is in the range of 3.78–4.60%.

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

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the bilobate cucullus in the male genital capsule of the new species. 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 263–280. Siccia spp. (263–278) and Palaeosiccia punctata (279, 280), adults. Depositories of the specimens: 263, 264, 267, 269, 273–275, 277, and 280 in ANHRT; 265, 266, 268, 272, and 279 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 270 and 276 in MfN; 271 in NHRS (©NHRS, photo by T. Malm); 278 in AKW.

Figures 446–449. Siccia spp., male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 526–530. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 526, 527, 529 and 530 in ANHRT; 528 in AKW.