Siccia diffusifascia, 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 : 43

Siccia diffusifascia sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F5F5D64A-A5B8-42B5-9264-55546AF32EB8

( Figs 9, 10 , 37 , 55 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 9 , 37 ): male, [South India, Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri Hills] “Nilgiris.” / “382” / “ Rothschild | Bequest | B.M. 1939-1” (bottom part of the last line is cut off) / QR-code label with unique ID “ NHMUK010292549 ” / “Slide | NHMUK014331256 ” ( NHMUK).

Paratype. INDIA: female, the same data as in the holotype, unique ID: NHMUK010292550 , gen. prep. No.: NHMUK014331257 (prepared by Volynkin) ( NHMUK).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 11.5 mm in the male holotype and 13.5 mm in the female paratype. Siccia diffusifascia sp. n. is externally vaguely reminiscent of S. quinquefascia (Hampson, 1891) ( Figs 11, 12 ) but differs clearly from it in the darker body and forewing ground colour, which are intensely suffused with grey, the diffuse forewing transverse lines, the larger, rounded and diffuse discal spot of the forewing (it is semilunar in S. quinquefascia ), and the brownish-grey hindwing with a larger discal spot, whereas the hindwing of S. quinquefascia is pale ochreous and medially and subapically intensely suffused with brown scales. The male genital capsule of the new species is substantially different from S. quinquefascia ( Fig. 38 ) due to the distally dilated uncus (it is distally tapered in the congener), the proximally broader valva with a cucullus lacking the dorsal process but having a considerably longer, clawlike distal process, the swollen distal section of the sacculus, the narrower phallus, and the shorter and narrower vesica bearing a single thorn-shaped cornutus whereas S. quinquefascia has a series of markedly smaller cornuti. The vesica structure of S. diffusifascia sp. n. is reminiscent of the externally dissimilar S. cinerea ( Bucsek, 2020) ( Figs 15, 16 , 39 ) and S. likiangensis (Daniel, 1951) ( Figs 13, 14 , 40 ) due to the presence of a single cornutus but in the new species it is larger and situated distally whereas it is situated subbasally in both the aforementioned congeners. Additionally, the genital capsule of S. diffusifascia sp. n. can easily be distinguished from S. cinerea and S. likiangensis by the distally dilated uncus (it is distally tapered in the similar species), the cucullus lacking the dorsal and ventral processes but having a longer distal process, and the reduced distal saccular process represented by a swollen protrusion, which is thorn-shaped and dorsally directed in S. cinerea and S. likiangensis . The female genitalia of S. diffusifascia sp. n. are distinguished from S. quinquefascia ( Fig. 56 ), S. cinerea ( Fig. 57 ) and S. likiangensis ( Fig. 58 ) by the more heavily sclerotised ductus bursae having lateral folds, and the very short appendix bursae, which is most similar to S. likiangensis , but in the latter species, the corpus bursae is significantly shorter and narrower, and bears an elliptical signum whereas the signum of the new species is elongate ribbon-like.

Distribution. South India (Tamil Nadu).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the diffuse forewing fasciae of the new species. The name is a noun in nominative singular in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

Figures 9–16. Siccia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 9–12 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 13 and 14 in MWM/ZSM; 15 in SNM (after Bucsek 2020); 16 in CKB (after Bucsek 2020).

Figures 37–40. Siccia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 37 and 38 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 39 in SNM (after Bucsek 2020); 40 in MWM/ZSM.

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).

Figures 57–60. Siccia spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 57–59 in MWM/ZSM; 60 in SZMN.