Siccasura morettoi, 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 : 19

The S. morettoi species-group

Diagnosis. The male genitalia ( Figs 47–50 ) are distinguished from those of the other species-groups by the following features: (1) the intertranstillar membrane is short and weak, it is enlarged, sclerotized and rugose in the S. numida species-group, while in the S. transtillata species-group the transtillae are medially fused forming a plate with two well-developed distal processes; (2) the distal section of the costal margin of the valva is strongly curved, thickened and densely covered in short but robust spines; (3) the cucullus is conspicuously large and well separated from the ventro-distal process of the valva; (4) the sacculus is relatively short, its dorsal margin is parallel with while its distal margin is perpendicular to the ventral margin of the valva; (5) the ventro-distal process of the valva is robust, long, directed distally, dilated apically; (6) the basal plate of the vesica is considerably smaller than in the other congeners. The female genitalia of the species-group ( Figs 61, 62 ) are also very characteristic and differ from those of the two other groups by the following features: (1) the 8 th abdominal segment lacks a subostial depression and the dorso-lateral pockets but bears two pairs of ventral crests; (2) the edge of the ostium bursae is heavily sclerotized and fused with the postvaginal plate whereas it is membranous in the two other groups; (3) the postvaginal plate is more or less X-shaped, strongly constricted medially, somewhat goblet-shaped, whereas it is platelike in the two other groups.

Figures

Figures 47–50. Siccasura spp.: male genitalia. The specimens are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 61–66. Siccasura (61 and 62) and Afrasura (63–66) spp.: female genitalia. 63 is the type species of Afrasura. Depositories of the specimens: 61–64 and 66 in ANHRT; 65 in ZSM.