Siccia exilisioides, 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 : 94

Siccia exilisioides sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:33AC4326-DE33-4144-99E1-5A9ECF9F3C8B

( Figs 259, 260 , 446, 447 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 259 , 446 ): 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 | 00168015” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV6708 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. GABON: 1 male, the same data as holotype ( ANHRT) ; REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 male, 356m, Sangha Prov. , Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Ndoki formation camp (Secondary forest), 02°12'51.5''N, 16°23'40.1''E, 23.vi.2022, Actinic Light Trap, Dérozier, V. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6884 ( 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, Actinic Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV6943 ( ANHRT) ; 2 males, 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, LepiLED L. T., Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV6998, AV6999 ( ANHRT) ; 2 males, 372m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8''N, 16°23'52.1''E, 14– 20.ii.2023, actinic light trap, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV7035, AV7037 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 365m, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N 16°16'25.82''E, 07–14.ii.2023, actinic light trap, Bakala, N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg., gen. prep. No.: AV7039 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 5.5–6.0 mm in males. Siccia exilisioides is externally most reminiscent of S. bilobata but distinguished by the more greyish forewing ground colour and the markedly darker, brownish-grey hindwing whereas it is greyish-ochreous in the congener. In the male genital capsule, the new species differs from S. bilobata in the shorter, fold-like ventral costal lobe (it is ventrally rounded and lobular in the congener), the longer and broader distal membranous lobe of the valva, and the markedly longer, unilobate and slightly asymmetrical cuculli, of which the left one is somewhat longer than the right one whereas the cuculli of S. bilobata are symmetrical and bilobate. The phallus of S. exilisioides is longer and proximally broader than in S. bilobata and almost straight whereas it is medially downcurved in the congener. Compared to S. bilobata , the vesica of S. exilisioides is markedly longer and broader, with a semiglobular subbasal diverticulum (it is elliptical in the congener), a broader medial diverticulum bearing granulation (it bears a cluster of tiny short cornuti in S. bilobata ), a bilobate distal diverticulum (absent in the congener), and a longer ventral diverticulum with two additional short subdiverticula apically and laterally.

The female is unknown.

Molecular data. The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from two sampled specimens is 0.46%. The nearest neighbour of S. exilisioides is S. bilobata with a pairwise distance of 3.78– 4.60%.

Distribution. The new species is currently known from Gabon and Republic of the Congo.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the new species’ external reminiscence of species of the genus Exilisia Toulgoët, 1958 . The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

Figures 240–262. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 240 in NHRS (©NHRS, photo by T. Malm); 241 and 243 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 242 in AKW; 244–246 in MWM/ZSM; 247–262 in ANHRT.

Figures 446–449. Siccia spp., male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.