Siccia kravchenkoi Volynkin, Müller, Prozorov & Saldaitis, 2022

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 : 25-26

Siccia kravchenkoi Volynkin, Müller, Prozorov & Saldaitis, 2022

( Figs 37, 38 , 297–299 , 466 )

Siccia kravchenkoi Volynkin, Müller, Prozorov & Saldaitis, 2022 , Ecologica Montenegrina , 54: 47, figs 4, 11 (Type locality: “ Mali, 396m, 75km SSW of Bamako, near Ouronina , 12°6'11.2''N 8°24'40.0''W ”).

Type material examined. Holotype ( Figs 37 , 297 ): male, “ Mali 396m | 75km SSW of Bamako, | near Ouronina | (mosaic forest savanna) | 12°6'11.2''N 8°24'40.0''W | ix.2009, Müller, G. & al. leg.” / “Slide | AV6775 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ) . Paratypes: 51 specimens of both sexes with the same data as in the holotype ( ASV, GMF-B, WIGJ) ; 3 males, 2 females, the same data as in the holotype, accession number: ANHRT:2022.7, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00201142–00201146, gen. prep. Nos.: AV6773, AV6776 (males), AV6774 (female) ( ANHRT) ; 2 males, 1 female, Southern Mali , 80 km SW of Bamako, near Ouronina Forest, 420m, ix.2015, leg. [G.] Müller, K. [recte: V.] Kravchenko, M. Traore & al. ( GMF-B) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 8.0 mm in males and 8.5–9.5 mm in females. Siccia kravchenkoi and S. kabadougou clearly differ from all other congeners in the blackish-brown forewing ground colour with ochreous-orange suffusion and spots along the costal and outer margins, and the intense dark brownish-grey suffusion on the hindwing. Their dark colouration is vaguely reminiscent of only S. buettikeri which is, however, significantly larger than S. kravchenkoi and S. kabadougou and has a markedly different forewing pattern as well as male and female copulatory organs. The male genitalia structures of S. kravchenkoi and S. kabadougou are most similar to those of the sympatric Siccia conformis . In the male genital capsule, S. kravchenkoi differs from S. conformis in the distally dilated uncus (it is evenly narrow in the congener), the longer juxta, the markedly longer apical process of the valva, and the shorter distal saccular process. The phallus of the current species is strongly upcurved medially whereas it is only slightly upcurved subproximally in S. conformis . The vesica of S. kravchenkoi is shorter and markedly narrower than in the congener, lacks a broad cluster of granulation, and bears a long and robust spine-like cornutus distally with one or two smaller spine-like cornuti laterally whereas the vesica of S. conformis bears a row of two to four short conical cornuti laterally. The female genitalia of S. kravchenkoi differ clearly from S. conformis in the markedly broader posterior gelatinous section of the corpus bursae bearing two heavily sclerotised dentate plates postero-laterally and laterally, connected by two narrow band-like and strongly dentate plates whereas the congener bears two clusters of weak serrulation anteriorly and postero-laterally at the base of the appendix bursae. The appendix bursae of the current species is short, broadly conical and weakly gelatinous whereas it is elongate, twisted and granulose in S. conformis . Additionally, compared to S. conformis , the apophyses anteriores of S. kravchenkoi are longer, the antrum is broader, the anterior section of the ductus bursae is longer and broader, and the anterior section of the corpus bursae is shorter, narrower, and lacking the signa. The detailed comparison with S. kabadougou is provided below in the diagnosis of the latter species.

Molecular data. Currently unavailable for this species.

Distribution. The species is currently known from southern Mali ( Volynkin et al. 2021).

Figures

Figures 33–44. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 33 and 36 in MWM/ZSM; 34 in AKW; 35 after Hacker (2016); 37–39, 43, 44 in ANHRT; 40 and 41 in MfN; 42 after Kühne (2007).

Figures 297–300. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 297 in WIGJ; 298–300 in ANHRT.

Figures 464–469. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 464 in AKW; 465 in MWM/ZSM; 466, 468 and 469 in ANHRT; 467 after Kühne (2007).