Siccia kuehnei, 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 : 27-28

Siccia kuehnei sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:25ABE200-754B-4C10-A7CF-9CF254AC43DB

( Figs 43, 44 , 305, 306 , 468 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 43 , 305 ): male, “ Ivory Coast, 174m | Taï NP, Taï Research Station ( SRET), | 05˚50'00''N, 07˚20'32.0''W, | 25.iii.–17.iv.2017, MV light, | Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., | Geiser, M., Moretto, P., leg., | ANHRT:2017.25” / “ANHRTUK | 00011220” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV4490 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. IVORY COAST: 7 males, 5 females, the same data as holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: AV3356, AV5037, AV5041, AV5043, AV5687 (males), AV3357, AV5035, AV5044, AV5306 (females) ( ANHRT) ; 3 males, 39–48m, Abidjan, Banco Forest ( Parc-National du Banco ), 05˚23'03.8''N, 04˚03'11.2''W, 21–30.iv.2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 4 males, 2 females, 40m, Banco National Park , 05°23’3.8''N, 04°03'11.2''W, 29.xi.–5.xii.2019, MV, Actinic & LepiLED Light Traps, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6616 (male), AV6605, AV6607 (females) ( ANHRT) ; GUINEA: 5 males, 540–600m, 619km ESE of Conakry, Nzerekore Region, Prefecture Lola, Ziela env., x.2017, 7°42'N, 8°21'W, Local collectors leg. ( ANHRT) ; 4 males, Konakry [Conakry], Macenta Prefecture, Ziama Forest , 550m, Mt. Nimba , November 2016, G. Petrányi, V.D. Kravchenko & G.C. Müller leg. ( GMF-B) ; 2 males, the same locality as previous, May 2017, G.C. Müller, V.D. Kravchenko & G. Petrányi leg. ( GMF-B) ; 1 male, the same data as previous, June 2017 ( GMF-B) ; 2 males, the same data as previous, December 2016 ( GMF-B) ; 1 male, the same locality as previous, 17.xi.–1.xii.2016, Generator, 250 Watt, G. Petrányi, G.C. Müller, V.D. Kravchenko et al. leg. ( GMF-B) ; SIERRA LEONE: 1 male, 180m, Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve , 6.x.2015, 08°20'57''N, 13°10'42''W, Light Trap, R. Goff coll., leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., gen. prep. No.: AV3180 ( ANHRT) ; LIBERIA: 1 male, 2 females, 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., gen. prep. Nos.: AV4474, AV4616 (females) ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 140m, Sinoe County, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Juboe River , 7.5km SW Pellokon Town, 5˚39'4''N, 8˚39'4''W, 14–21.i.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Bucket Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV5686 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 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. No.: AV4462 ( ANHRT) ; 2 males, 551m, Wetezu camp, Wonegizi Nature Reserve , Lofa County, 8°4'57.11''N 9°34'47.86''W, 19–27.iii.2019, Light Trap Blended Bulb (250W), Sáfián, Sz., Koivogui, S. leg. ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 6.0–8.0 mm in males and 7.5–9.5 mm in females. The new species is most externally reminiscent of S. processa , and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures, which are greatly different in both sexes of the two species. Despite the external dissimilarity, the male genital capsule of S. kuehnei is very similar to that of S. anserina , from which it differs only in the less medially convex dorsal margin of the valva. The phalli of the two species are alike. The reliable differences between S. kuehnei and S. anserina are found in the vesica structure: in the new species, it has a short ventral diverticulum, and the medial lateral sclerotised plate bears fewer spine-like cornuti, which are markedly more robust than in the congener. Compared to S. anserina , the female genitalia of S. kuehnei have broader lateral subostial lobes, a longer and wider ductus bursae (in proportion to the ovipositor length and width), and a broader corpus bursae. The comparison with another closely similar species, S. evrys is provided below in the diagnosis of that species.

Distribution. The new species is known from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from 25 sampled specimens is in the range of 0.00–1.72%. The morphologically close S. evrys diverges genetically from the current species by 4.97–6.93%. The pairwise distances between S. kuehnei and two other morphologically similar species, S. mikongo and S. araios are in the range of 4.78–6.48% and 4.28–5.79%, respectively.

Etymology. The new species is named after Mr Lars Kühne (Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany), author of the similar S. anserina . The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

Figures 33–44. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 33 and 36 in MWM/ZSM; 34 in AKW; 35 after Hacker (2016); 37–39, 43, 44 in ANHRT; 40 and 41 in MfN; 42 after Kühne (2007).

Figures 305–308. Siccia spp., male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 464–469. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 464 in AKW; 465 in MWM/ZSM; 466, 468 and 469 in ANHRT; 467 after Kühne (2007).