Meganola lucia (van Son, 1933 )

László, Gyula M., 2020, Review of the genus Meganola Dyar, 1898 of Ivory Coast and adjacent areas with descriptions of 5 new species and several taxonomic updates (Lepidoptera Nolidae, Nolinae) - Taxonomic studies on West African Nolinae I., Zootaxa 4853 (2), pp. 151-182 : 159-161

Meganola lucia (van Son, 1933)

( Figs 11–13 , 61 , 92 )

Roeselia lucia van Son, 1933 , Annals of the Transvaal Museum 15: 227. Type locality: [ RSA] Zululand, St. Lucia Lake. Holotype, ♂ (TMSA).

= Meganola togatulella Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 243, syn. n.

= Meganola subterminalis Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 314, syn. n.

= Meganola lupii Hacker & Hausmann, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 505, syn. n.

Material examined. Ivory Coast. 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 174m Tai NP., Tai 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., ANHRT:2017.25, slide Nos: LGNA 472 ♂, LGNA 979 ♂, LGNA 420 ♀. Cameroon. 2 ♂, 1246m, Adamawa Region, Adamawa Plateau, 7.3km West of Bazanga, Chute de Tello , 07°13’50.6”N, 13°56’29.2”E, 24–30.ix.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián , Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT:2018.36, slide No.: LGNA 567 ♂. Zambia. 1 ♂, 1080m, Mayukuyuku, Kafue , N.P., S14°54’55, E26°03’47”, 9–11.IV.2014, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova, L., Smith, L., ANHRT:2017.11, slide No.: LGNA 50 ♂; 1 ♀, 1400 m, Hillwood, Ikelenge , S11°16’02”, E24°18’59”, 17– 24.III.2013, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano , H., ANHRT:2017.8, slide No.: LGNA 79 ♀. Mozambique. 1 ♀, Maputo Special Reserve, 9m, Mangrove Camp, Mangrove-Woodland Mosaic , 26°19’35.9”S, 32°42’35.7”E, 7–9.XII.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristovao, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT:2017.22, slide No.: LGNA 352♀; 1 ♂, 15m, nr Swamp Forest, Sand Thicket , 26°27’59”S, 32°54’16”E, 28. V.2017, Actinic Light Trap , Aristophanous, M., László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT:2017.26, slide No.: LGNA 381♂; 1 ♂, 11m, forest clearing campsite, Sand Forest , 26°17’24”S, 32°45’45”E, 29–12. VI.2017, MV Light Trap , Aristophanous, M., László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT:2017.26, slide No.: LGNA 382♂; 1 ♂, 22m, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate, Sand Forest , 26°30’14.2”S, 32°42’59.6”E, 13–15.II.2018, MV Light Trap , László, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT:2018.2, slide No.: LGNA 447♂ ( ANHRT).

Remark. Hacker et al. (2012) illustrated a drawing of the male genitalia of M. lucia (van Son, 1933) taken from the original description of the species. László & Vetina (2019) provided photographic figures of both the male and female genitalia of M. lucia for the first time based on specimens from South Mozambique. M. lucia slightly resembles the Palaearctic Meganola togatulalis ( Hübner, 1796) with its darker medial area of the forewing and a characteristically arcuate medial line. Numerous specimens with similar habitus in the ANHRT collection from different countries display identical genital morphology suggesting the species has a much wider distribution than was previously thought. Meganola togatulella Hacker, 2012 was described based on a single female specimen collected in Uganda. Females with the same external habitus from Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Zambia and Mozambique display identical genital morphology to that illustrated in the description of M. togatulella ( Hacker et al. 2012: 243) . As the females were collected at the same time and site with externally identical males (including in South Mozambique near the type locality of M. lucia ), M. togatulella , subterminalis and lupii are here synonymised with M. lucia .

Distribution. South Africa, Ethiopia, D.R. Congo, Uganda ( Hacker et al. 2012) and Mozambique (László & Vetina 2019). Specimens from Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Zambia represent new country records.

Figures

FIGURES 1–20: adults (all in coll.ANHRT unless otherwise indicated). 1, Meganola smithi sp. n., holotype, ♂, Ivory Coast; 2, M. smithi sp. n., paratype, ♂, Liberia; 3, M. smithi sp. n., paratype, ♀, Liberia; 4, M. endoscota, holotype, ♀, Ghana (NHMUK); 5, M. endoscota, ♂, Liberia; 6, M. endoscota, ♂, Guinea; 7, M. endoscota, ♂, Cameroon; 8, M. microfascia, ♂, Ivory Coast; 9, M. microfascia, ♀, Ivory Coast; 10, M. mesonephele, ♀, Ivory Coast; 11, M. lucia, ♂, Ivory Coast; 12, M. lucia, ♂, Cameroon; 13, M. lucia, ♀, Ivory Coast; 14, M. palaeographa, ♂, Ivory Coast; 15, M. palaeographa, ♀, Ivory Coast; 16, M. monofascia, ♂, Ivory Coast; 17, M. monofascia, ♂, Cameroon; 18, M. monofascia, ♀, Liberia; 19, M. dananae, ♂, Guinea; 20, M. dananae, ♀, Guinea.

FIGURES 57–65: male genitalia (all in coll. ANHRT unless otherwise indicated). 57, Meganola smithi sp. n., holotype, Ivory Coast, LGNA 242; 58, M. endoscota, Liberia, LGNA 970; 59, M. microfascia, Ivory Coast, LGNA 250; 60, M. mesonephele, Ivory Coast, LGNA 149; 61, M. lucia, Ivory Coast, LGNA 472; 62, M. palaeographa, Ivory Coast, LGNA 235; 63, M. monofascia, Ivory Coast, LGNA 237; 64, M. monofascia, Cameroon, LGNA 568; 65, M. monofascia, Zambia, LGNA 103.

FIGURES 88–95: female genitalia (all in coll. ANHRT unless otherwise indicated). 88, Meganola smithi sp. n., paratype, Liberia, LGNA 523; 89, M. endoscota, holotype, Ghana, NHMUK010315151 (prep. by Gy.M. László) (NHMUK); 90, M. microfascia, Ivory Coast, LGNA 418; 91, M. mesonephele, Ivory Coast, LGNA 151; 92, M. lucia, Ivory Coast, LGNA 420; 93, M. palaeographa, Ivory Coast, LGNA 24; 94, M. dananae, Guinea, LGNA 988; 95, M. taiana sp. n., paratype, Ivory Coast, LGNA 983.