Siccia megala, 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 : 55

Siccia megala sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:148883C7-477A-46AD-A671-49B62C92673E

( Figs 29, 30 , 51 , 63 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 29 , 51 ): male, “N-Vietnam 1400m | [Hòa Bình Province] Mai-chau, Urwald [jungle] | 40km SE Moc-chau | 20.50’N 104.50’E [20°50'N 104°50'E] | 07.–15.IV.1995 leg. | Sinjaev [recte: Sinyaev] & Einh[eimische]Samml[er] [local colectors] | Museum Witt” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2019-050 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( MWM / ZSM).

Paratypes. VIETNAM: 10 males, 1 female, the same data as in the holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019-051 ♀, ZSM Arct. 2019-052 ♂ (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 14.0– 14.5 mm in males and 14.5 mm in the female paratype. Siccia megala sp. n. is externally largely reminiscent of S. altaica (Lederer, 1855) (illustrated, e.g., by Kishida (2018)) but differs from it in its larger size and the fundamentally different genitalia structures, which are most similar to S. maculifascia ( Moore, 1878) . In the male genital capsule, S. megala sp. n. is distinguished from the latter species by the distally strongly downcurved uncus, the apically elongate juxta (it is short in the congener), the narrower saccus, the basally wider but distally narrower valva with a broader costal protrusion, and the longer and distally upcurved sacculus with a short triangular process, which is elongate and tooth-shaped in S. maculifascia . The phallus of the new species is considerably longer than in S. maculifascia . The vesica of S. megala sp. n. is broader than in S. maculifascia , has a broader and semiglobular subbasal dorsal diverticulum (it is bilobate in the congener), and an elongate and utricular dorsal diverticulum apically bearing a cluster of spines whereas it is short, bilobate and membranous in S. maculifascia . The female genitalia of the new species can easily be distinguished from S. maculifascia in the substantially longer ductus bursae with a longer antrum, the longer and broader corpus bursae bearing two signa: an elliptical and an elongate ribbon-like ones (whereas S. maculifascia has a single elliptical signum), and the narrow and conical appendix bursae, which is proximally dilated and medially twisted in the similar congener.

Distribution. Northern Vietnam (Hòa Bình Province).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek ‘μεγάλος’ meaning ‘large’ and refers to the large size of the new species in comparison to other congeners. The name is a noun in nominative singular 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.

Figures 61–64. Siccia spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 61 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 62 in CAV; 63 and 64 in MWM/ZSM.