Siccia milesi, 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 : 39-40

Siccia milesi sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:099F4C3B-DD19-46AE-BD2E-1089125F9C61

( Figs 80 , 336 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 80 , 336 ): male, “ Sierra Leone 1050m | Loma Mountains | Closed-canopy forest | N09˚10'35'', W11˚05'25'' | 7–10.vi.2016, Light Trap | leg. Takano, Miles & Goff | ANHRT:2017.18” / “ANHRTUK | 00020571” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV5033 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratype. SIERRA LEONE: male, the same data as holotype, gen. prep. No.: AV5249 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 9.0– 9.5 mm in males. Siccia milesi is externally reminiscent of the Ethiopian S. mago but differs in the somewhat broader and less elongate forewing, the slightly darker, ochreous body and forewing ground colour, the better developed and distinct forewing pattern, the more distinct hindwing discal spot, and the intense brown suffusion on the hindwing terminally. Despite the external similarity, the male genital capsule structure of the new species is greatly different from S. mago due to the distally tapered valva lacking a medial costal lobe and a cucullus having two processes. The cucullus structure of S. milesi is most similar to S. orbiculata but differ in the longer dorsal process directed ventrally (it is distally directed in the congener), and the thicker, apically rounded and less downcurved ventral process, which is hook-like downcurved and apically pointed in S. orbiculata . The phallus of S. milesi is markedly shorter and narrower than in S. orbiculata and S. mago . The vesica of the new species is shorter and narrower than in the similar congeners, and bears two dense clusters of tiny spinules whereas there are only two clusters of fine graniculi in S. orbiculata , and the vesica of S. mago bears a broad cluster of more robust spinules and a small cluster of several spine-like cornuti.

The female is unknown.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from two sampled specimens is 0.00%. The genetically next-closest species is S. grossagranularis differing by 5.96–5.97%.

Distribution. The new species is known only from its type locality in eastern Sierra Leone. Etymology. The new species is named after Mr William Miles (ANHRT), Mantodea specialist and one of the collectors of the type series. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

Figures 80–94. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 80, 81, 84–88, 92–94 in ANHRT; 82 in MWM/ZSM; 83, 89 and 90 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 91 in AKW.

Figures 333–336. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 333, 334, 336 in ANHRT; 335 in MfN.