Siccia spinifera, 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 : 51-55

Siccia spinifera sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:441961D7-0C99-44C3-A42A-6EBCCB124FE1

( Figs 27 , 49 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 27 , 49 ): male, “ Nord-Vietnam | [Hòa Bình Province] Mai-chau 25 km S | Moc-chau , 1400m | 20.50’N/104.40’E [20°50'N 104°40'E] | 14.–18.XI.1994 | leg. V. Sinjaev [recte: Sinyaev] | Sekundärwald [secondary forest] | Museum Witt” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2019-084 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( MWM / ZSM).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 8.0 mm in the male holotype. Siccia spinifera sp. n. is externally vaguely reminiscent of S. micromesozona (Holloway, 2001) ( Fig. 28 ) but can easily be distinguished by its smaller size, the more rounded forewing apex, the thinner discal spot of the forewing, the more diffuse spots of the medial and antemedial lines at anal margins, and the somewhat paler hindwing. In the male genital capsule, the new species differs clearly from S. micromesozona ( Fig. 50 ) in the distally thicker uncus, the Ushaped saccus (it is rectangular with convex lateral margins in the congener), the basally broader valva with a broader, rather bird head-shaped cucullus bearing a substantially larger apical thorn, and the markedly longer distal saccular process. The phallus of S. spinifera sp. n. is considerably longer and broader than in the similar congener. In the vesica, the new species has a substantially larger subapical diverticulum stretching laterally and bearing a cluster of numerous short but robust cornuti whereas it bears a cluster of robust graniculi in S. micromesozona .

The female is unknown.

Distribution. Northern Vietnam (Hòa Bình Province).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ‘spinifer’ meaning ‘thorny’ and refers to the thorn-like distal process of the cucullus of the new species. The name is an adjective in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

Figures 25–32. Siccia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 25 and 26 in CAV; 27–30 and 32 in MWM/ZSM; 31 in MfN.

Figures 49–52. Siccia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 49–51 in MWM/ZSM; 52 in MfN.