Siccia faucaria, 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 : 42-43

Siccia faucaria sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B53957F2-AD63-46EE-BFFD-4D522AB4A1B6

( Figs 86–88 , 341, 342 , 478 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 86 , 341 ): male, “ Gabon 430m | Mikongo (Rougier) , Monts | de Cristal (Secondary forest) | 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” / “ANHRTUK | 00167934” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV6556 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. GABON: 5 males, the same data as holotype, MV, LepiLED & Actinic Light Traps, gen. prep. Nos.: AV6611, AV6989 ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, 185m, Dilo ANPN camp, Ivindo ( Secondary forest ), 0˚14'1''S, 12˚17'49''E, 14–19.viii.2019, MV Light Trap, Albert, J.-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6601 ( ANHRT) ; REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 male, 352m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Ndoki formation ( Secondary forest ), 02°12'47.7''N, 16°23'45.8''E, 29.ix.–1.x.2022, actinic light trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 341m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa camp, 02°12'36.9''N 16°11'30.2''E, 16–23.ix.2022, MV Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 358m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa forest ( Secondary forest ), 02°11'58.1''N, 16°11'16.9''E, 17–23.ix. 2022, LepiLED L.T., Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 358m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa forest ( Secondary forest ), 02°11'58.1''N, 16°11'16.9''E, 17–22.ix. 2022, Actinic Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 372m, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp ( Gilbertiodendron forest), 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 1–10.x.2022, LepiLED Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 4 males, 372m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 14–20.ii.2023, MV & actinic light traps, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 6 males, 365m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N 16°16'25.82''E, 07–14.ii.2023, LepiLED, MV & actinic light traps, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg. ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, Odzala Nat. Park , 400– 500m, 0°23'N 14°50'E, 29.i.–3.iii.1997, Sinyaev & Murzin leg. ( GMF-B) ; DRC: 1 male, [Haut-Uélé Prov., Isiro] Uele: Paulis , 3.ii.1957, Dr M. Fontaine [leg.], gen. prep. No.: AV7016 ( RMCA) ; 1 male, 36 km SSE Kisangani, village Yoko , 413m, 00°14'N 25°17'E, 12–15.ii.2008, Gurkovich & Zolotuhin leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2020-034 (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM) ; 6 males, 4 females, Salonga National Park , 02°45'22.79''S 20°18'55.56''E, Ekongo Camp, January 2016, V.D. Kravchenko & G.C. Müler ( GMF-B) ; 1 female, the same data as previous but December 2016 ( GMF-B) ; LIBERIA: 1 male, 140m, Sinoe County, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Juboe River , 7.5km SW Pellokon Town, 5˚39'4''N, 8˚39'4''W, 14–20.i.2018, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV5685 ( ANHRT) ; 3 males, 530m, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area , 7˚56'36''N, 10˚16'36''W, 10–19.xi.2017, MV Light Trap (125w) & 8w Actinic Light Trap Bucket, Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., & Smith, L., leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV4613, AV6990 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7.0– 8.5 mm in males and 9.5 mm in the female. Siccia faucaria is externally reminiscent of S. duodecimpunctata and S. acornuta , and can be distinguished only by the darker hindwing. Reliable identification of worn specimens requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genital capsule of the new species is remarkably different from other congeners due to the short and distally tapered valva with a sacculus and a cucullus covered with robust spines of various lengths. Additionally, the costa of S. faucaria is distally swollen, heavily sclerotised and also sparsely covered with tiny spinules, and the uncus is thicker than in the congeners. The vesica of the new species lacks ornamentation, its configuration is similar to certain members of the S. cretata species-group, but in S. faucaria , it is shorter (in proportion to the phallus length) and has shorter diverticula. The female genitalia of S. faucaria are most reminiscent of the S. duodecimpunctata species-group but differ in the heavily sclerotised lateral plates of the antrum, the considerably broader and more heavily sclerotised lateral subostial plates, and the markedly larger, conical appendix bursae bearing spinulose scobination proximally and situated laterally whereas it is semiglobular, membranous and situated postero-laterally in the S. duodecimpunctata species-group.

Molecular data. The COI-5P sequences of the populations from Gabon (n=5) and Liberia (n=3) are divergent by 2.82–3.65% with an intrapopulational variability of 0.00–1.24% and 1.24–1.53%, respectively. However, the species is uniform in its external and genital morphology. The pairwise distances between S. faucaria and species of the morphologically similar S. duodecimpunctata species-group are in the range of 5.25–8.35%.

Distribution. The new species is known from Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the male valva shape, which is vaguely reminiscent of leaves of the succulent plants of the genus Faucaria Tisch. ( Aizoaceae ). The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

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 341–344. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 341 in ANHRT; 342 in RMCA; 343 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 344 in AKW.

Figures 474–478. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 474, 475, 477 and 478 in ANHRT; 476 in GMF-B.