Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Siccia Walker (= Aemene Walker, syn. n.) in the Afrotropics with descriptions of seventy-three new species, three new subspecies, and a check-list of Asiatic taxa of the genus (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini) Author Volynkin, Anton V. 0000-0001-9447-4925 The African Natural History Research Trust (ANHRT), Street Court Leominster, Kingsland, HR 6 9 QA, UK. E-mail: anton @ anhrt. org. uk; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 9447 - 4925 & Altai State University, Lenina Avenue 61, RF- 656049, Barnaul, Russia. text Ecologica Montenegrina 2023 2023-07-07 64 1 184 http://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.2023.64.1 journal article 10.37828/em.2023.64.1 2336-9744 13248512 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:ED4A9B48-70C2-4B8D-B8F1-513B217A439B Siccia kota sp. n. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4F984CEE-F737-46F9-B08A-D2D04229993E ( Figs 146–148 , 379, 380 , 496 ) Type material . Holotype ( Figs 146 , 379 ): male, “ Gabon 430m | Mikongo (Rougier) , Monts | de Cristal ( Secondary forest ) | 0°29'47''N , 11°10'42''E | 28.vii.–12.viii.2019 Actinic Light | Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., | Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., | Moretto, P. Leg. | ANHRT:2019.17” / “ANHRTUK | 00138723” (DNA barcode iD) / “Slide | AV6558 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( ANHRT ). Paratypes . GABON : 1 male , the same data as holotype, Actinic light, gen. prep. No. : AV6559 ( ANHRT ) ; 1 female , 185m , Dilo ANPN camp, Ivindo ( Secondary forest ), 0˚14'1''S, 12˚17'49''E, 14– 19.viii.2019 , MV Light Trap , Albert, J.-L. , Aristophanous, M. , Bie Mba, J. , Dérozier, V. , Moretto, P. leg., gen. prep. No. : AV6602 ( ANHRT ) ; REPUBLIC OF CONGO : 6 males , 372m , Sangha Prov. , Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Mbeli camp ( Gilbertiodendron forest), 02°14'23.8''N , 16°23'52.1''E , 1–10.x.2022 , LepiLED & Actinic Light Traps , Dérozier, V. , Fouka, B. , Kirk-Spriggs, A. , Takano, H. leg., gen. prep. Nos. : AV6934, AV6985, AV6986 ( ANHRT ) ; 4 males , 1 female , 372m , Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Mbeli camp, 02°14'23.8''N , 16°23'52.1''E , 14–20.ii.2023 , MV, Actinic & LepiLED light traps , Bakala, N. , M., Dérozier, V. , Kirk-Spriggs, A. , László, G. leg. ( ANHRT ) ; 1 male , 365m , Sangha Prov. , Nouabale-Ndoki N.P. , Mbeli baï ( Swamp forest ), 02°15'30.4''N , 16°24'39.5''E , 25.vi.2022 , Actinic Light Trap , Dérozier, V. leg., gen. prep. No. : AV6881 ( ANHRT ) ; 2 males , 353m , Sangha Prov. , Nouabale-Ndoki N.P. , Bomassa camp ( Secondary forest ), 02°12'36.9''N , 16°11'30.2''E , 18.vi.–3.vii.2022 , MV Light Trap , Dérozier, V. leg., gen. prep. Nos. : AV6879, AV6880 ( ANHRT ) ; 1 male , 365m , Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Mondika camp, 02°21'50.63''N 16°16'25.82''E , 07–14.ii.2023 , actinic light trap , Bakala, N. , M., Dérozier, V. , Kirk-Spriggs, A. , László, G. leg. ( ANHRT ) ; 1 male , 341m , Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Bomassa camp, 02°12'36.9''N 16°11'30.2''E , 20–21.ii.2023 , actinic light trap , Bakala, N. , M., Dérozier, V. , Kirk-Spriggs, A. , László, G. leg. ( ANHRT ) ; 1 male , 358m , Sangha Prov. , Nouabale-Ndoki National Park , Bomassa forest ( Secondary forest ), 02°11'58.1''N , 16°11'16.9''E , 17–22.ix. 2022 , Actinic Light Trap , Dérozier, V. , Fouka, B. , Kirk-Spriggs, A. , Takano, H. leg. ( ANHRT ) ; DRC : 1 male , [Haut-Uélé Prov., Isiro] Uele : Paulis , 18.i.1957 , Dr M. Fontaine [leg.], gen. prep. No. : AV7008 ( RMCA ) ; 1 male , the same data as previous but 25.viii.1957 , gen. prep. No. : AV7010 ( RMCA ) ; 1 female , the same data as previous but 5.ii.1957 , gen. prep. No. : AV7012 ( RMCA ) ; CAMEROON : 1 female , 612m , Central Region , Nkoteng , on Sanaga River , Nkoteng Forest , 04˚33˚34.2''N, 11˚59'37.6''E, 24–28.x.2018 , LepiLED Light Trap , Sáfián, Sz. , Simonics, G. leg., gen. prep. No. : AV5076 ( ANHRT ) ; 2 males , Bitje , Ja River , Oct. , Wet Season, G.L . Bates / Joicey Bequest , Brit. Mus. 1934-120, unique numbers: NHMUK010916021, NHMUK010916022, gen. prep. Nos. : NHMUK010314617, NHMUK010314618 (prepared by Volynkin ) ( NHMUK ) . Diagnosis . The forewing length is 10.0–11.0 mm in males and 10.5–11.5 mm in females. Siccia kota is externally very similar to S. nzame , S. akanthodis and S. bicultula , and identification requires the examination of the genitalia structures. The male genital capsule of the new species is similar to S. nzame and S. bicultula but distinguished from the former species by the somewhat shorter valva (in proportion to the tegumen-vinculum complex length), the shorter cucullus with narrower lobes, and the presence of only the outer medial-ventral process of the ventral costal lobe, which is longer and thinner than in S. nzame . Additionally, compared to S. nzame , the juxta of S. kota is broader and bearing two small postero-sublateral triangular processes, and the uncus is longer. The phallus of S. kota is longer and broader than in S. nzame . The vesica of the new species is longer than in S. nzame and has a longer subbasal dorsal diverticulum. In the female genitalia, S. kota differs from S. nzame in the markedly shorter and narrower ventral sclerotised lobes of the ostium bursae directed posteriorly (they are directed latero-posteriorly in the congener), the broader ductus bursae with a shorter but broader posterior plate and dense spinulose scobination anteriorly, the considerably longer and broader corpus bursae with a longer signum, and the proximally broader appendix bursae. Additionally, the lateral subostial lobes of S. kota are remarkably shorter than in S. nzame . Molecular data . The intraspecific divergence of COI-5P sequences calculated from three sampled specimens is in the range of 0.00–0.93%. The nearest neighbours of S. kota are S. bicultula and S. akanthodis differing by 5.47–6.50% and 5.48–5.65%, respectively. Distribution . The new species is known from Gabon , Cameroon , Republic of the Congo , and Democratic Republic of the Congo . Etymology . The species is named after the Kota people, a Bantu ethnic group from Gabon and Republic of the Congo . The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.