Siccasura sosta 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 : 9-17

Siccasura sosta Volynkin & László , sp. nov.

( Figs 7–10 , 40–43 , 58 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 7 , 40 ): male, “ Liberia, 530m, Foya Proposed Protected Area , Lofa County, 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 number: ANHRTUK 00142317, gen. slide No.: AV6176 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes (46 males, 7 females in total). LIBERIA : 15 males, 1 female, with the same data as in the holotype, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00020531, 00020542, 00026275, 00026278, 00026284, 00026286, 00026310, 00026472, 00026491, 00026495, 00037408, 00037538, 00037620, 00142316, 00148261, 00148412, gen. slide Nos.: AV5940, AV5951, AV5953 (males), AV6156 (female) ; 2 females, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Rosewood Camp , 585m, 8°06'14.9"N, 9°58'27.3"W, 18.xi.–1.xii.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz. , Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00061854, 00062204, gen. slide Nos: AV6144, AV6146 (females); 1 male, 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 number: ANHRTUK 00148411, gen. slide No.: AV5952; 5 males, 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 00100809, 00100829, 00100830, 00100840, 00101862, gen. slide Nos.: AV5954, AV6177; 2 males, same data but collected by blended bulb (250W) light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00095306, 00095311 ( ANHRT) . IVORY COAST: 4 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 00073591, 00073592 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT013-20 /ANHRTUK-00073592), 00073593 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT014-20 /ANHRTUK-00073593), 00073594 (DNA barcode id: ANHRT015-20 /ANHRTUK-00073594), gen. slide Nos.: AV3061, AV3063, AV3072, AV3074 (males) ( ANHRT) . CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1 male, Bangui, N 4°20' E 18°32', 20.ix.2000, leg. local collector, ex coll. Th. Greifenstein, gen. slide No.: MWM 33871 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) . REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: 1 female, Odzala Nat. Park , 400– 500m, 0°23'N 14°50'E, 29.i.–03.iii.1997, leg. Sinyaev & Murzin, gen. slide No.: MWM 33864 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) . GABON: 4 males, Nyonié ( Lowland Forest ), 10m, 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 numbers: ANHRTUK 00149674, 00149675, 00149686, 00152663, gen. slide Nos.: AV6184, AV6186, AV6187 (males); 2 males, same data but collected by actinic light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00111396, 00162877, gen. slide No.: AV5939 ; 1 male, same data, but collected by LepiLED light trap, unique number: ANHRTUK 00155670, gen. slide No.: AV6185 ; 6 males, 1 female, 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 00167793, 00167811, 00167814, 00168049, 00168085, 00192541, 00192571, gen. slide No.: AV6116 (female); 3 males, same data but collected by actinic light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00160509, 00162692, 00162668, gen. slide No.: AV6181 (male) ; 1 male, 1 female, same data but collected by LepiLED light trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00138970, 00156182, gen. slide No.: AV5943 (female) ; 1 male, same data but collected by house light, unique number: ANHRTUK 00149367 ; 1 female, Ogooue Ivindo P.N., Ivindo Station de Recherche d'Ipassa , 450m, 0°30'43"N, 12°48'12"E, 14– 26.vi.2016, Light Trap, Ruzzier, E., Tasane, T . leg., ANHRT:2017.19, unique number: ANHRTUK 00050692 ( ANHRT).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7–8 mm in males and 8–9 mm in females. The male genital capsule of S. sosta is reminiscent to that of S. numida but can easily be distinguished by the wider valva, the somewhat wider sacculus and the cluster of short spines which are situated on the right sacculus (it is positioned on the left sacculus in S. numida ). The valva costa is distally pointed, reaching only the base of the cucullus without marginal dentation, while in S. numida it stretches to the tip of the cucullus and finely spinulose. The costa of the left valva bears a conspicuous, rounded subbasal lobe in S. sosta , a character which is absent in S. numida . Additionally, the V-shaped juxta of the new species is flattened dorso-ventrally whereas it is dorso-ventrally swollen and triangular with a wide but short basal depression in S. numida . Compared to S. numida , the vesica of S. sosta has a longer basal plate, a broader main chamber and a much wider and longer membranous distal diverticulum which is granulated in its congener. The female genitalia of S. sosta are distinguished from those of S. numida by the absence of the large and swollen subostial ventral lobes, the markedly shorter and narrower lateral pockets of the 7 th abdominal segment and the considerably shorter ventral fold of the 7 th sternite. In the new species, the dorsal sclerotized plate of the distal section of the ductus bursae is shorter and wider and the signa bursae are smaller.

Distribution. Siccasura sosta is widespread in western and central Africa and currently known from Ivory Coast, Liberia, Gabon, Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic.

Etymology. ‘Sosta’ is the Latin transliteration of the Greek word ‘σωστά’ meaning ‘right’. The specific epithet refers to the presence of a diagnostic cluster of spines on the right sacculus.

Figures

Figures 1–8. Siccasura spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 in CMNH; 2 in MWM/ZSM; 3, 4, 7 and 8 in ANHRT; 5 and 6 in ZSM.

Figures 9–16. Siccasura spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 9–14 in ANHRT; 15 and 16 in MFN.

Figures 40–43. Siccasura sosta: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens: 40–42 in ANHRT; 43 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 55–60. Siccasura spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens: 55, 56, 58 and 59 in ANHRT; 57 in ZSM; 60 in MFN.