Siccia sordida ( Butler, 1877 ) 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 : 20-23

Siccia sordida ( Butler, 1877) , comb. n.

( Figs 7–30 , 283–293 , 459–463 )

Aemene sordida Butler, 1877 , Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, 1877: 372 (Type locality: “South

India ”).

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated) ( Fig. 7 ): male, “S. India | Coimbatore. | M.I. Walhouse. | 61-20.” / AE. sordida | Butler Type” / red ring “Type” label / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010598068” ( NHMUK).

Note. Aemene sordida Butler, 1877 was described without the number and the sex of the type specimens being mentioned ( Butler 1877). In order to stabilise the nomenclature, the male specimen labelled as “Type” and preserved in the NHMUK collection is hereby designated as the lectotype.

= Aemene subcinerea Moore, 1878 ; Proceedings of the general meetings for scientific business of the Zoological

Society of London, 1878: 34 (Type locality: “N.W. India ”).

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated) ( Fig. 8 ): male, “N. W. | India ” (upper side) “ AEmene | subcinerea | type) Moore ” (under side) / “Moore Coll. | 94–106.” / red ring “ Type ” label / QRcode label with unique number: “NHMUK010598071” ( NHMUK).

Note. Aemene subcinerea Moore, 1878 was described without the number and the sex of the type specimens being mentioned ( Moore 1878). In order to stabilise the nomenclature, the male specimen labelled as “Type” and preserved in the NHMUK collection is hereby designated as the lectotype. The taxon was downgraded to a subspecies of S. sordida by Hampson (1900), while it was considered a ‘variety’ of S. sordida by Strand (1922), and subsequently considered as a synonym of S. sordida by Volynkin (2021).

= Aemene modesta Moore, 1878 , Proceedings of the general meetings for scientific business of the Zoological Society of London , 1878: 34 (Type locality: [ Taiwan] “Formosa”).

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated) ( Fig. 9 ): male, “ Formosa | Swinhoe ” (upper side) “ AEmene | modesta | type) Moore ” (under side) / “Moore Coll. | 94–106.” / red ring “ Type ” label / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010598072” ( NHMUK).

Note. Aemene modesta Moore, 1878 was described based on a male but without the number of specimens being mentioned ( Moore 1878). In order to stabilise the nomenclature, the specimen labelled as “Type” and preserved in the NHMUK collection is hereby designated as the lectotype. Hampson (1900) synonymised modesta with subcinerea and considered the latter as a subspecies of S. sordida . Inoue (1988) considered modesta as a junior synonym of S. sordida but did not include subcinerea in the list of synonyms of the species.

= Aemene nigropunctana Saalmüller, 1880 , Bericht über die Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft in

Frankfurt am Main, 1880: 309 (Type locality: “ Madagascar ”), syn. n.

Type material examined. Photographs of lectotype (hereby designated) ( Fig. 23 ): female, “Madag.[ascar] | Loucoubé [Lokobe] | Ebenau 80” / “ Aemene | nigropunctana | Saalm.” / red label “Typus | Aemene | nigropunctana | Saalmüller 1880 | SMF-L 4710” ( SNMF); paralectotypes of Aemene nigropunctana Saalmüller : 2 females with the same data as lectotype, unique numbers: SMF-L 4711 and SMF-L 4712 ( SNMF).

Note. In the original description ( Saalmüller 1880), both sexes of Aemene nigropunctana Saalmüller, 1880 were described. However, in the SNMF collection, only three “Type” females were located (M. Terragni, pers. comm.). In order to stabilise the nomenclature, the female specimen with a unique number SMF-L 4710 is hereby designated as the lectotype. The type specimens of nigropunctana display no diagnostic differences from other populations of S. sordida from mainland Africa and Asia and therefore the taxon is synonymised with S. sordida in the present paper.

= Siccia sordida form. albescens Draudt in Seitz (Ed.), 1914, Die Grossschmetterlinge der Erde, 10: 162 (Type locality

(hereby fixed by lectotype designation): [ Indonesia] Bali, Low Country ).

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated) ( Fig. 11 ): male, “ Bali. | Low Country. | “ W. Doherty. | 96-252.” / “Subsp. 1.” / “ Siccia | sordida | var. albescens | Draudt | Holotype. | Hampson Subsp. 1.” / red ring “Type” label / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010598073” ( NHMUK).

Note. Draudt (1914) introduced the name albescens for the nameless “Subsp. 1” suggested by Hampson (1900), who cited a male from Singapore and two males from Bali Island. In order to stabilise the nomenclature, the male specimen from Bali labelled as “Type” and preserved in the NHMUK collection is hereby designated as the lectotype.

= Siccia conformis Hampson, 1914 , Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum. Supplement 1:

706, pl. 37: fig. 13 (Type locality: “N. Nigeria, Minna”), syn. n.

Type material examined. Holotype ( Figs 18 , 288 ): “N. Nigeria. | Minna. | 29.VIII.1910. | Scott Macfie. | 1911–389.” / “ Siccia | conformis | type ♂. Hmpsn.” / red ring label “ Holo- | type” / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010914272” / “ Arctiidae | Brit. Mus. slide | No. 6046 ♂ ” ( NHMUK).

Note. In the original description, Hampson (1914) cited two males and one female but marked only the male from Minna as “type”. This specimen is hereby considered as the holotype. The populations from mainland Africa display no remarkable differences from Asiatic S. sordida and the name conformis is therefore synonymised here with the latter species.

= Siccia punctipennis ab. teitaensis Strand, 1922, Lepidopterorum Catalogus, 26: 736 (Type locality: [ Kenya, Taita

Hills] “Teita in Britisch Ost-Afrika”), syn. n.

Type material examined. Holotype (by monotypy) ( Fig. 19 ): female, “Teita. | E.Africa. | 2500–3000 ft. | Jan.1892. | F.J.Jackson. | 97–31.” / “ Siccia | punctipennis | ab. teitaensis | Holotype. Strand | Hampson Ab.

1.” / red ring “ Type ” label / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010914270” ( NHMUK).

Note. According to ICZN Article 45.6.2 (1999), the name teitaensis is infrasubspecific and therefore unavailable. Strand (1922) introduced it for the nameless “Ab. 1.” from “Teita” mentioned by Hampson (1900). Apparently, the single female specimen from “Teita” collected by F.J. Jackson (considered here as the holotype by monotypy) and cited by Hampson (1900) was subsequently assigned by the author ( Hampson 1914) to his S. conformis . Nevertheless, following Hampson (1900), Strand (1922) treated teitaensis as an aberration of the superficially quite dissimilar S. punctipennis .

= Siccia humilis Rothschild, 1924 , Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9), 14 (81): 308 (Type locality:

[ Madagascar] “Diego Suarez”), syn. n.

Type material examined. Holotype ( Fig. 24 ): female, “Diego Suarez. | Madagascar. | 22–24. July 1917. | (G. Melou)” / “ Siccia | humilis | Type Rothsch.” / red ring “Type” label / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010914283” ( NHMUK).

Note. In the original description of Siccia humilis, Rothschild (1924) listed two males and a female but specified that only the female is the “type”, which is thus considered the holotype. The holotype and the topotypical specimens of S. humilis display no diagnostic differences from other populations of S. sordida and therefore S. humilis is hereby synonymised with it.

= Siccia baibarensis Matsumura, 1927 , Journal of the College of Agriculture , Hokkaido Imperial University, Sapporo, Japan, 19 (1): 62, pl. 5, fig. 19 (Type locality: [ Taiwan, Nantou County, Puli] “Formosa (Horisha)”).

Type material examined. Photographs of the holotype ( Fig. 10 ): male, “Baibara | Kikuchi” / red label

“ Type | Matsumura” / “ Siccia | baibarana | det. Matsumura ” ( EIHU) .

Note. The taxon was synonymised with S. sordida by Inoue (1988).

= Siccia arabica Wiltshire, 1983, Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 5: 305, pl. 1: fig. 9 (Type locality: [ Saudi Arabia] “ Wadi Damad, 800m ”) ,

syn. n.

Type material examined. Photographs of holotype ( Fig. 31 ): female, “Saudi Arabien | W. Büttiker ” / “ Wadi Damad | 800m 24.IX.[19]81” / “XII 32” / red label “ Siccia | arabica | Wiltshire | holotype ♂ ♀ ”, gen prep. No.: WBL. 122 ( NHMB) .

Notes. (1) In the original description of S. arabica , Wiltshire (1983) cited the holotype as a male whereas it is in fact a female conspecific with S. sordida . For this reason, S. arabica is hereby synonymised with S. sordida . (2) The male genitalia illustrated by Wiltshire (1983: fig. 9a) as ‘ S. arabica ’ belong to an unidentified species of the genus Siccia . Unfortunately, the specimen dissected by Wiltshire and belonging in his private collection was not located in the NHMUK collection where it was deposited and therefore its specific placement remains unclear.

= Afrasura terlineata Durante, 2009 , Zootaxa, 2280: 49, figs 32, 72 (Type locality: “ Ethiopia, Langano Lake , 1580m ”), syn. n.

Note. This taxon was originally described under the genus Afrasura Durante, 2009 ( Durante 2009) and subsequently transferred to the genus Siccia by Volynkin (2019a). The female genitalia of the holotype illustrated by Durante (2009) display no remarkable differences from S. sordida therefore the new synonymy is hereby established.

= Siccia bifurcata Hacker, 2016 , Esperiana , 20 (1): 213 (description), (2): pl. 35, fig. e (male genitalia); pl. 212, figs 3–

5 (adults) (Type locality: “ Yemen, Province of Al Hudaydah, Jabal Burra , 25 km SE of Bajil, 550m ”), syn. n .

Type material examined. Paratypes ( Figs 30 , 287 , 463 ): 1 male, 1 female, Yemen, Prov. Sana’a, 14°40'N 42°22'E, Jabal Raymah, 2.iii.2000, 20 km E Al Mansuriyah, 560m, F. Aulombard, M. Fibiger, H. Hacker & H.P. Schreier leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV4752 (male), AV4753 (female) ( ASV) ;

Note. When describing S. bifurcata, Hacker (2016) compared it only with S. arabica (sensu auctorum) and S. buettikeri occurring in the Arabian Peninsula. The male genitalia of the holotype illustrated by Hacker (2016: pl. 35, fig. e) and the genitalia of the paratypes dissected by the author of the present paper display no diagnostic differences from those of the African and Asian populations of S. sordida therefore S. bifurcata is hereby synonymised with the latter.

Additional Afrotropical material examined. IVORY COAST: 5 males, 6 females, 479m, Denguélé Classified Forest , 09°30'0.6''N, 07°40'51.1''W, 11–18.xi.2019, MV, Actinic & LepiLED Light Traps, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6635 ( ANHRT) ; MALI: 1 female, 396m, 75km SSW of Bamako, near Ouronina , (mosaic forest savanna), 12°6'11.2''N 8°24'40.0''W, ix.2009, Müller, G. & al. leg. ( ANHRT) ; TOGO: 3 males, 415m, Fazao-Malfakassa NP, Point de vue campsite ( Sundanian savannah), 8˚48'50''N, 0˚49'3.2''E, 16–23.viii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P., Sanbena, B. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV5226, AV5227 ( ANHRT) ; NIGERIA: 1 male, R. Niger, Sapele, F.W. Sampson , 99-107, unique number: NHMUK010916018, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314614 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; ZAMBIA: 1 male, 1 female, 1452m, Lungu Forest Reserve , 20 km N of Mbala, Northern Province, 08˚42'27''S, 31˚16'34'E, 6–9.v.2019, MV & LepiLED Light Traps, Dérozier, V., László, G., Miles, W. leg. ( ANHRT) ; UGANDA: 1 MALE, Ankole <15.vii.[19]28, J. Gastrell, B.M. 1950-116, unique number: NHMUK010314616, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314616 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; TANZANIA: 1 male, 1 female, Tang. Terr., Ukerewe I., Father Conrad [leg.], unique numbers: NHMUK010916008, NHMUK010916009, gen. prep. Nos.: NHMUK010314604, NHMUK010314605 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Morogoro reg., Morogoro District, Morogoro, Forest Hill , 580m, 6°50.270'S 37°40.500'E, 17.v.2001, A.J. Kingston leg. ( AKW) ; 1 female, the same data as previous but 11.i.2001 ( AKW) ; ETHIOPIA: 1 male, 2 females, Oromia, 04°57'50''N 37°52'55''E, 1 km W vill. Aluweya, 10.xi.2010, 1300m, J. De Freina, H. Hacker, H. Pels, H.-P. Schreier leg. (MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 male, 06°08'59''N 37°34'42''E, 15 km N Arba Minch, 2 km after junct. to Chencha , 3.v.2008, H. Hacker & H.-P. Schreier leg. (MWM/ ZSM) ; 2 males, 1 female, ca. 340 km SSW Addis Abeba, road Yabelo-Konso , ca. 30 km NW Yabelo, 1600m, 12.xi.2010, de Freina leg., gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2021-183, ZSM Arct. 2021-184 (males), ZSM Arct. 2021-185 (female) (MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 male, 1 female, Southern Province, ca. 320 km SW Addis Abeba, road Konso-Weyto , 5 km SE Weyto, 1600m, 13.xi.2010, de Freina leg. (MWM/ ZSM) ; MOZAMBIQUE: 2 males, 271m, Zambezia Province, Lugela, around Hotel Mantega , 16°25'50.4''S, 36°45'09.4''E, 9–10.viii.2018, General coll., László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV5039, LG 4833 (prepared by László) ( ANHRT) ; RSA: 1 male, KwaZulu Natal, Jozini, Cycad Rock , 27°24.96'S 32°03.79'E, 23–25.ii. 2020, 160m, A.J. Kingston, K. Larsen & A. Cipolia leg. ( AKW) ; 1 female, Krüger NP, Camp Berg-en-Dal , 350m, 29–30.xi.2011, M. Hluchy & Gy. M. László leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, Pumalanga [Mpumalanga] Prov., Barberton , 650m, Inni Krater Westhang , 25°45.035'S 30°59.532'E, 15.i.2007, J.-P. Rudloff leg. (MWM/ ZSM) ; ESWATINI: 2 females, Swaziland, Ndzevane area, Matala near Nsogo , 240m, 26°58.716'S 31°58.529'E, 23.i.2007, J.-P. Rudloff leg. (MWM/ ZSM) ; MADAGASCAR: 1 male, 1 female, Diego Suarez , 9.ix.1917, G. Melou / Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1, unique numbers: NHMUK010918150, NHMUK010918151, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010315791 (male), NHMUK010315792 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 female, the same data ad previous but 5.ii.1917, unique number: NHMUK010914284, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010315793 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 female, the same data ad previous but 16.vii.1917, unique number: NHMUK010914285, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010315794 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; COMOROS: 1 male, Grande Comore ,

L. Humblot, 1884 / Adams Bequest, B.M. 1912-399, unique number: NHMUK010916028, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314624 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK); 1 female , Grande Comore, 7.iv.[19]21, G.F. Leigh / Rothschild Bequest, B.M. 1939-1, unique number: NHMUK010916029, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314625 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7.0–10.0 mm in males and 8.0–10.0 mm in females. The species varies in its size, the intensity of dark suffusion on both wings, and the degree of expression of the forewing markings. In the male genital capsule, the width of the cucullus is slightly variable. In the vesica, the number of cornuti varies from two to four. Siccia sordida is externally quite dissimilar to other Afrotropical congeners and is most reminiscent of the Oriental S. taprobanis but can easily be distinguished from it by its markedly smaller size, the ciliate male antenna (it is shortly bipectinate in the congener), and the antemedial and medial fasciae of the forewing interrupted into irregular spots whereas they are more or less continuous in S. taprobanis . In the male genital capsule of S. sordida , the ventral processes of the cucullus are directed differently and distant from each other whereas they are more or less parallel and situated close to each other in S. taprobanis . Additionally, the distal saccular process of S. sordida is markedly shorter than in the similar congener. The phallus of S. sordida is smaller than in S. taprobanis (in proportion to the genital capsule size) and has a smooth dorsal margin, which bears a postero-medial protrusion in the congener. Compared to S. taprobanis , the vesica of S. sordida lacks a dorsal diverticulum and bears only a row of short conical cornuti laterally whereas that of S. taprobanis bears a row of spiniform cornuti and a separate, large spike-like cornutus laterally. In the female genitalia, S. sordida is distinguished from S. taprobanis by the smaller lateral subostial plates, the anteriorly narrower ductus bursae, and the corpus bursae bearing one plate-like serrulate signum and one elongate and transversely ribbed band-like signum whereas S. taprobanis has two larger plate-like serrulate signa, and a markedly shorter and weakly sclerotised band-like signum. Additionally, the appendix bursae of S. sordida is broader and less helicoid than in S. taprobanis .

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from four sampled specimens from mainland Africa is in the range of 0.62–2.19%. Since the molecular data are currently unavailable for other taxa in the species-group, the COI-5P sequences of S. sordida were compared with the morphologically similar S. anserina species-group, from which the current species diverges by 10.53– 12.72%.

Distribution. The species is widespread from the Afrotropics (including Madagascar and Comoro Islands) ( Saalmüller 1880, as nigropunctana ; Hampson 1914, as conformis ; Rothschild 1921, 1924, as conformis and humilis , respectively; Strand 1922, as teitaensis; Durante 2009, as terlineata ) in the west through southern Arabian Peninsula ( Wiltshire 1983, as arabica ; Hacker 2016, as bifurcata ), Sri Lanka and South India ( Butler 1877; Hampson 1900), the Himalayas ( Moore 1878, as subcinerea ; Kishida 1994, as taprobanis ), southern China ( Hampson 1900; Fang 2000), Taiwan ( Moore 1878, as modesta ; Matsumura 1927, as baibarensis ), Indochina including Malay Peninsula ( Hampson 1900; Černý & Pinratana 2009), Greater Sunda Islands ( Draudt 1914, as albescens), and reaching the Philippines and Lesser Sunda Islands ( Indonesia) in the east. The easternmost known locality of the species is the island of Sumbawa.

Taxonomic remark. The South Indian Siccia quinquefascia ( Hampson, 1891) , comb. n. & stat. rev. ( Figs 6 , 282 ) is hereby confirmed to be a valid species. Hampson (1891) mentioned that it is “allied to Ae. taprobanis ” but subsequently, the author ( Hampson 1900) downgraded the taxon to a subspecies of S. sordida . Strand (1922) listed quinquefascia as a ‘variety’ of S. sordida , and later the taxon was considered a synonym of S. sordida by Volynkin (2021) due to their external similarity and the polymorphism of the latter. However, after comparing the genitalia structures of the specimens externally identical to the type with those of S. sordida , they proved to express conspicuous distinctive characters and displayed a close similarity to Siccia bucseki (Volynkin, 2021) , comb. n. and Siccia tenebrosa ( Moore, 1878) , comb. n. In the original description ( Hampson 1891), both sexes of Aemene quinquefascia were described and later, Hampson (1900) cited one male and one female as “type”. In order to stabilise the nomenclature, the male syntype labelled as “ Type ” and preserved in the NHMUK collection is hereby designated as the lectotype. Lectotype of Aemene quinquefascia Hampson, 1891 : male, “ Nilgiris. | The plateau | 7000´” (upper side) / AEmene | quinquefascia | – Hampson | type ♂ ” (under side) / “ Nilgiris. | HampsonColl. | 89–129.” / red ring “ Type ” label / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010598069” ( NHMUK) . Paralectotype: female “ Nilgiris. | HampsonColl. | 89–129.” / “ AEmene | quinquefascia | – Hampson | type ♀ ” / red ring “ Type ” label / QR-code label with unique number: “NHMUK010598070” ( NHMUK) . Additional material examined: series of both sexes, [South India, Tamil Nadu, Nilgiris District] Coonoor , vii.1900, gen. prep. Nos.: NHMUK014331254 (male), NHMUK014331255 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) .

Figures

Figures 4–17. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 4–9, 11 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 10 in EIHU (photo by V.V. Zolotuhin, courtesy of V.V. Dubatolov); 12–17 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 18–32. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 18, 19, 21, 24–28 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 20, 29 and 32 in MWM/ZSM; 20 and 22 in ANHRT; 23 in SNMF (photo by M. Terragni); 30 in ASV; 31 in NHMB (photo by I. Zürcher-Pfander).

Figures 281–284. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 281 in coll. K. Černý (Innsbruck, Austrtia); 282 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 283 and 284 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 285–288. Siccia sordida, male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 285–286 in MWM/ZSM; 287 in ASV; 288 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 289–292. Siccia sordida, male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 289–292 in ANHRT; 292 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

Figures 293–296. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 293 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 294 and 295 in MWM/ZSM; 296 after Hacker (2016).

Figures 458–463. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 458 in coll. K. Černý (Innsbruck, Austria); 459 and 460 in MWM/ZSM; 461 in ANHRT; 462 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 463 in ASV.