Siccia spinulosia, 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 : 66

Siccia spinulosia sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D80E2DA5-AB41-4E78-8989-B78A984FE920

( Figs 166–169 , 392, 393 , 501 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 166 , 392 ): male, “ Liberia 494m | Nimba County, Nimba Mts., | ENNR, Grassfield FDA Field | Station | 7°29'32.45''N, 8°34'54.05''W | 22.xi.2018 Light Trap, Blended | Bulb (250W) | Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. Leg. | ANHRT:2018.43” / “ANHRTUK | 00061966” / “Slide | AV5187 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. LIBERIA: 1 male, 1 female, 585m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts, Rosewood Camp , 8˚06'14.9''N, 9˚58'27.3''W, 18.xi.–1.xii.2018, MV Light Trap and Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8w), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6704 (male), AV5662 (female) ( ANHRT) ; 3 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. ( ANHRT) ; 3 males, 530m, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area , 7˚56'36''N, 10˚16'36''W, 10–19.xi.2017, MV Light Trap (125w) and Cold Cathode Light Bucket, Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., & Smith, L., leg. ( ANHRT) ; GABON: 4 males, 1 female, 430m, Mikongo (Rougier) , Monts de Cristal ( Secondary Forest ), 0˚29'47''N, 11˚10'42''E, 28.vii.– 12.viii.2019, MV and LepiLED Light Traps, Albert, J.-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6583, AV6594, AV6595 (males), AV6615 (female) ( ANHRT) ; REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 6 males, 372m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 14–20.ii.2023, MV, actinic & LepiLED light traps, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 349m, Likouala Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Makao forest ( Secondary forest ), 02°36'42.5''N 17°09'23.8''E, 24–29.ix.2022, Actinic Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. 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) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 6.0–8.0 mm in males and 8.5–9.0 mm in females. Siccia spinulosia is externally indistinguishable from S. setis , S. microsticta , S. durantei , S. curvalva , and S. stictica , and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genital capsule of the new species is characterised by the long saccular cluster of spines stretching from the base of the distal saccular process to the ventral margin of the valva. The detailed comparison of the genitalia of both sexes with the similar S. setis is provided above in the diagnosis of the latter species.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence between the two DNA barcoded specimens is 1.71%. The pairwise distance between S. spinulosia and the morphologically similar S. setis is in the range of 2.83– 3.82%.

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

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the densely spinulose dorsal surface of the sacculus. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 163–178. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 163–169, 171–178 in ANHRT; 170 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 390–394. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 390–393 in ANHRT; 394 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 500–504. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 500–503 in ANHRT; 504 in ZSM.