Siccia adiaphora Kiriakoff, 1958

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 : 73-74

Siccia adiaphora Kiriakoff, 1958

( Figs 196, 197 , 411 , 509 )

Siccia adiaphora Kiriakoff, 1958 , British Museum (Natural History) Ruwenzori Expedition 1952, 1 (2): 2, figs 10, 52 (Type locality: “Nyinabitaba, 8650 ft. ”).

Type material examined. Holotype ( Fig. 196 ): male, “ Uganda: | Ruwenzori Range. | Nyinabitaba. | 8,650 ft. 7–13.vii.1952. | D.S. Fletcher. ” / “Ruwenzori Exped. | B.M. 1952-566.” / “ S. G. Kiriakoff det., 1955 | Siccia | adiaphora sp.n. ” / red ring “Type” label / “Photographed. | B.M.Neg. | 16600” / “ Arctiidae | genitalia slide | No. 410” / QR-code label with unique number “NHMUK 010914269” ( NHMUK).

Paratypes: UGANDA: 1 male, same data as holotype, unique number: NHMUK010314613, gen. prep. No.: NHMUK010314613 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Ruwenzori Range , Mubuku River, 8350 ft., 10.vii.1952, D.S. Fletcher / Ruwenzori Exped. B.M. 1952-566 ( NHMUK) ; 1 female, Ruwenzori Range , xii.1934 – i.1935, B.M. E. Afr. Exp., B.M. 1935-203 / Kilembe, 4500 ft., F.W. Edwards, unique number: NHMUK010292542, gen. prep. No.: Arctiidae 409 ( NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 9.0– 9.5 mm in males and 8 mm in the female. Siccia adiaphora is externally vaguely reminiscent of species of the S. setis and the S. microsticta species-groups but differs in the ochreous forewing ground colour with intense brown suffusion antemedially and medially, the presence of the black antemedial spot on the vein M near the antemedial cellular spot, and the pale ochreous hindwing ground colour. The male genital capsule of S. adiaphora is clearly different from other species in the genus by the presence of ventral lobes of the tegumen bearing two robust narrowly triangular processes of different sizes, the elongate and apically trapezoidal cucullus, the well-developed distal membranous lobe of the valva (it is vestigial in most of the Afrotropical species in the genus), the slender, stick-shaped and apically dilated distal saccular process, and the dorsally sclerotised anellus with heavily sclerotised and serrulate lateral margins. The valvae of S. adiaphora are asymmetrical: the left one is broader than the right one and bearing a short thorn-like dorsal process medially. Each valva has a sparsely setose inner surface and a broad ventral costal lobe bearing two robust thorn-like, apically pointed and slightly upcurved processes directed distally. The phallus of the species is elongate and relatively narrow, somewhat tapered distally and with short and membranous vesica. The female genitalia can be distinguished from the species in the genus by the ostium bursae being distant from the ovipositor and opening in the middle of the 7 th sternite, as well as the elongate and narrow ductus bursae. The corpus bursae is ovoid and covered with spinulose scobination anteriorly and laterally.

Molecular data. Currently unavailable for this species.

Distribution. The species is known from Uganda ( Kiriakoff 1958) and western Kenya ( Kühne 2008).

Figures

Figures 190–206. Siccia spp., adults. Depositories of the specimens: 190 and 198 in MfN; 191, 196 and 197 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 192–195, 199–201, and 203–206 in ANHRT; 202 in GMF-B.

Figures 411–414. Siccia spp., male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 411 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 412 in MfN; 413 and 414 in ANHRT.

Figures 509–512. Siccia spp., female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 509 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 510 in MfN; 511 and 512 in ANHRT.