Lithosiccia smithi, Volynkin, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, Lithosiccia, a new genus with four new species from mainland Africa (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 65, pp. 24-39 : 35-38

Lithosiccia smithi sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5A52E835-D2EC-4B81-9978-9323F45B195A

( Figs 11–15 , 28 , 29 , 33 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 11 , 28 ): male, “ Republic of Congo 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. | ANHRT:2023.3” / “ANHRTUK | 00312066” / “Slide | AV7185 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 1 male, the same data as holotype ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 358m, Sangha Prov., Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa forest ( Secondary forest ), 02°11'58.1''N, 16°11'16.9''E, 17–23.ix. 2022, LepiLED L. T ., Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. leg., gen. prep. No. : AV6970 ( ANHRT) ; DRC: 1 male, 1 female, Salonga National Park, 02°45'22.79''S 20°18'55.56''E, Ekongo Camp , January 2017, V . D. Kravchenko & G.C. Müler, gen. prep. Nos.: AV7187 (male), AV7188 (female) ( GMF-B) ; IVORY COAST: 1 male, 174m, Taï NP, Taï Research Station ( SRET), 05˚50'00''N, 07˚20'32.0''W, 25.iii.–17.iv.2017, MV light, Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. No. : AV4967 ( ANHRT) ; LIBERIA: 1 male, 140m, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Sinoe County, Juboe River , 7.5km South West Pellokon Town, 5˚39'4''N, 8˚39'4''W, 14–21.i.2018, Cold Cathode UV Bucket Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. No. : AV7001 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 7.0– 7.5 mm in males and 8.0 mm in the female. Lithosiccia smithi is most externally reminiscent of members of the genus Palaeosiccia rather than other congeners but distinguished by the shorter rami of the male antenna, the markedly narrower forewing with less distinct markings, and the dark brownish-grey male hindwing, which is off-white in Palaeosiccia . Despite the superficial similarity to Palaeosiccia , the male genitalia structures of the new species are typical of the genus Lithosiccia and are most similar to L. bota , from which, however, the male genital capsule of L. smithi differs in the medially narrower uncus, the broader vinculum, the heavily serrate anellus (it is smooth in the congener), the somewhat downcurved cucullus, and the upcurved and slightly longer distal saccular process. The phallus of L. smithi is longer and distally narrower than in L. bota . Compared to L. bota , the vesica of the new species is narrower and shorter, has a markedly shorter and narrower terminal diverticulum, a shorter and distally broader distal diverticulum, and bears a shorter and narrower distal cornutus. As the female of L. bota is unknown, the female genitalia of L. smithi were compared with L. juvenis instead, from which the new species differs in the shorter ductus bursae with a caliciform gelatinous antrum (it is absent in the congener), the elongate and sack-like corpus bursae with a membranous anterior section having a short diverticulum and a posterior section having a spinulose diverticulum postero-ventrally and a broad cluster of spines on the right side at the junction with the appendix bursae whereas in L. juvenis , the corpus bursae is shorter and rounded, lacking diverticula but bearing a smaller cluster of spines postero-laterally on the left side and a broad lateral cluster of robust spines occupying the right half of the structure. The appendix bursae of L. smithi is proximally broad and spinulose and distally tubular whereas it is very short, conical and membranous in L. juvenis . Additionally, the female of L. smithi has lateral gelatinous pockets, which are smaller than in the congener, only on the 7 th sternite whereas L. juvenis has an additional, second pair of lateral gelatinous pockets on the 6 th sternite.

Molecular data. The intraspecific variability of COI-5P sequences of the species is in the range of 3.13–3.29% between the populations from West Africa and Gabon. The pairwise distance between two specimens from Liberia and Ivory Coast is 0.46%. Lithosiccia smithi diverges from its nearest neighbours, L. takanoi and L. juvenis by 6.37–6.71% and 7.22–7.89%, respectively.

Distribution. The new species is currently known from Liberia, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Mr Richard Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, ANHRT, who, through organising and undertaking numerous entomological expeditions to Sub-Saharan Africa has enabled the discovery of numerous species new to science. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

Figures 11–19. Lithosiccia smithi (11–15), Palaeosiccia punctata (16, 17), and Siccia caffra (18, 19): adults. Depositories of the specimens: 11–13 and 17 in ANHRT; 14 and 15 in GMF-B; 16 and 19 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 18 in MfN.

Figures 26–28. Lithosiccia spp.: male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in ANHRT.

Figures 29–31. Lithosiccia smithi (29), Palaeosiccia punctata (30), and Siccia caffra (31): male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 29 and 30 in ANHRT; 31 in HNHM.

Figures 32–35. Lithosiccia spp. (32, 33), Palaeosiccia punctata (34), and Siccia caffra (35): female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 32 and 34 in ANHRT; 33 in GMF-B; 35 in MfN.