Siccia chogoriae Kühne, 2007

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 : 87-88

Siccia chogoriae Kühne, 2007

( Figs 236–239 , 432, 433 , 521 )

Siccia chogoriae Kühne, 2007 , Esperiana Memoir , 3: 374, figs 82, 184 (Type locality: “ Kenya, Mt. Kenya East , Chong [a]ria Forest Station, 1800m, 0°15'S 37°34'E ”).

Type material examined. Paratype ( Fig. 235 ): male, Kenya, Mt. Kenya, Chogoria Forest St. , 6.x.2001, 1650m, L. Kühne leg., gen. prep. No.: AV4840 ( MfN) .

Additional material examined: KENYA: 1 male, Nairobi , xii.1952, E. Pinhey, unique number: NHMUK010916010, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314606 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 4 males, Central Province, Nyeri District, 1960m, Naro Moru River Lodge, 0°09.04.60'S [ca. 0°9'19.77"S] 37°00.398'E, 1–4.xii.2008, A.J. Kingston leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6713, AV6714, AV6715, AV6717 ( AKW) ; 1 male, Central Province, Thika District, 8 km SW Thika, Karamaini Estate , 1550m, 01°02.746'S 36°59.472'E, 4.viii.2011, A.J. Kingston leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6712 ( AKW) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 15.ix.2012, gen. prep. No.: AV6716 ( AKW) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 19.ix.2012 ( AKW) ; TANZANIA: 1 male, Mt. Meru, Momella , 1600–1800m, 10–19.ii.1964, W. Forster leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-171 (prepared by Volynkin) ( ZSM) ; 1 male, Kilimanjaro, Marangu , 1500m, 20.x.1952, Lindemann and Pavlitzki leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-172 (prepared by Volynkin) ( ZSM) ; MOZAMBIQUE: 2 males, 22m, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate ( Sand Forest ), 26˚30'14.2''S, 32˚42'59.6''E, 21–30.xi.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvāo, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 3–13.xii.2016 ( ANHRT) ; 5 males, 1 female, the same locality as previous but 30.v.–9.vi.2017, Actinic and MV Light Traps, Aristophanous, M., László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV3142, AV3143 (males), AV3161 (female) ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, the same locality as previous but 9–17.ii.2018, László, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 21–22.ii.2018 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, the same data as previous but 24–25.ii.2018 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 9m, Maputo Special Reserve, Mangrove Camp ( Mangrove-Woodland Mosaic ), 26˚19'35.9''S, 32˚42'35.7''E, 7–9.xii.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvāo, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg. ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 6.5–7.5 mm in males and 7.0– 7.5 mm in females. Siccia chogoriae is externally reminiscent of S. pallidata but distinguished by the somewhat less elongate forewing apex, and the markedly shorter, elliptical or circular proximal spot in the cell whereas it is dash-shaped in the congener. The male genital capsule of S. chogoriae differs from S. pallidata in the thinner uncus, the markedly narrower valva with almost parallel margins (it is distally dilated in the congener), the unilobate, thin and apically pointed cucullus (whereas that of S. pallidata is bilobate with a ventral lobe almost fully fused with the distal membranous lobe of the valva), and the proximally broader and more distally tapered distal saccular process. The phallus of S. chogoriae is somewhat shorter and broader than in S. pallidata bearing a distal-lateral sclerotised serrulate plate. The vesica of S. chogoriae is markedly narrower than in S. pallidata and has a shorter, narrower and unilobate subbasal diverticulum lacking the sclerotised plate whereas it is bilobate in S. pallidata . Compared to S. pallidata , the medial diverticulum of the current species is shorter, straight and narrowly conical whereas it is sack-like and medially twisted in the congener. The distal diverticulum of S. chogoriae is markedly longer than in S. pallidata and with a distal section directed distally whereas it is distally recurved in the congener. As the female of S. pallidata is unknown, the female genitalia of S. chogoriae were compared with S. elgona , the differences are listed below in the diagnosis of the latter species.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from five specimens from southern Mozambique is in the range of 0.00–0.15%. Siccia chogoriae diverges from other sequenced species in the species group by 4.75–6.25%.

Distribution. The species is currently known from Kenya ( Kühne 2007), Tanzania and Mozambique.

Figures

Figures 223–239. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 223 in MHNG (photo by B. Landry); 224, 225, 227, 229–231, and 238, 239 in ANHRT (227: ex AKW); 226 and 233 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 228, 236 and 237 in ALW; 232 in MWM/ZSM; 234 and 235 in MfN.

Figures 431–433. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 431 in MfN; 432 in AKW; 433 in ANHRT.

Figures 521–525. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 521, 524 and 525 in ANHRT; 522 in AKW; 523 in MWM/ZSM.