Siccia gryllotalpa, Volynkin, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, Eight new species of the genus Siccia Walker from the Oriental realm (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 66, pp. 36-57 : 38

Siccia gryllotalpa sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DFE4ACEE-1A41-43EF-9D4A-DC33C333304E

( Figs 3, 4 , 36 , 53 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 3 , 36 ): male, “N-Vietnam 1600m [border of Lai Châu and Lào Cai Provinces] | Mt. Fan-si-pan(Nord) | Cha-pa, Primärurwald [primary jungle] | 22.17''N 103.44''E [22°17'N 103°44'E] | 25.–30.IV.1995 | leg. V. Sinjaev [recte: Sinyaev] & | Einheim. Sammler [local collector] | Museum Witt” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2019-025 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( MWM / ZSM).

Paratypes. VIETNAM: 3 males, 4 females, the same data as in the holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019- 105♂, ZSM Arct. 2019- 106♀ (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 11.0– 11.5 mm in males and 12.0–13.0 mm in females. Siccia gryllotalpa sp. n. externally differs from the similar S. kachina sp. n. and S. angusta sp. n. in the more greyish forewing ground colour and the smaller spots of the forewing pattern. The male genital capsule of the new species is distinguished from the similar congeners by the distally dilated valva with a broad, spatulate cucullus bearing several short triangular processes along its outer margin. Additionally, the distal saccular process of S. gryllotalpa sp. n. is reduced whereas it is short but developed in S. kachina sp. n. and S. angusta sp. n. The phallus of S. gryllotalpa sp. n. is distally broader than in S. angusta sp. n. and proximally narrower than in S. kachina sp. n. The vesica configuration of the new species is reminiscent of S. angusta sp. n. and S. stellatus but in S. gryllotalpa sp. n. the lateral diverticula are markedly larger, the subapical spinulose cluster of the subapical diverticulum is considerably longer, and the distal diverticulum is reduced whereas it is strongly elongate and utricular in both the similar congeners. As the females of S. kachina sp. n. and S. angusta sp. n. are unknown, the female genitalia of S. gryllotalpa sp. n. were compared with S. stellatus ( Fig. 54 ) instead, from which the new species differs in the longer lateral protrusions of the ostium bursae, the somewhat longer and narrower ductus bursae, and the corpus bursae bearing a broad anterio-lateral cluster of numerous short but robust thorns whereas it bears an anterior cluster of spinulose scobination in S. stellatus . Additionally, in S. gryllotalpa sp. n., the postero-lateral diverticulum of the corpus bursae is markedly longer than in S. stellatus , and the appendix bursae is short, conical and membranous whereas that of S. stellatus is large, semiglobular, gelatinous, and bearing a dense cluster of spinulose scobination.

Distribution. Northern Vietnam (border of Lai Châu and Lào Cai Provinces).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the mole cricket genus Gryllotalpa Latreille, 1802 and refers to the vague similarity of the valva of the new species to the digging forelegs of the family Gryllotalpidae ( Orthoptera ). The name is a noun in nominative singular in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

Figures 1–8. Siccia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1–4 and 6–8 in MWM/ZSM; 5 in CKC.

Figures 33–36. Siccia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 33, 34 and 36 in MWM/ZSM; 35 in CKC.

Figures 53–56. Siccia spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 53 and 54 in MWM/ZSM; 55 and 56 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).