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. Author László, Gyula M. text Zootaxa 2020 2020-09-22 4853 2 151 182 journal article 8488 10.11646/zootaxa.4853.2.1 fbc6b44f-4c5e-481a-8073-8a809b4a3819 1175-5326 4410542 D310B8C8-A16F-4B55-B6E6-8FD5EC35DE63 Meganola monofascia (van Son, 1933 ) ( Figs 16–18 , 63–65 , 107) Nola major var. monofascia van Son, 1933 , Annals of the Transvaal Museum 15: 214. Type locality: [ RSA ] Transvaal , Pietersburg. Holotype , (TMSA). = Meganola septima Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 375, syn. n. = Meganola octava Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 377, syn. n. = Meganola heteromorpha Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 383, syn. n. = Meganola dissoluta Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 384, syn. n. = Meganola brachyvalva Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17:385, syn. n. = Meganola pseudofuscata Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 468, syn. n. Material examined. Ivory Coast . 1 ♂ , 1171 m , Mt Tonkoui Peak , N07°27’15”, W07°38’13”, 12–18.VII.2015 , Light Trap , leg. Aristophanous, M. , Moretto, P. & Ruzzier, E. , ANHRT :2017.14, slide No. : LGNA 26 ♂ ; 3 ♂ , same site, but collected at 1–8.XI.2015 , ANHRT :2017.16, slide Nos : LGNA 237 ♂ , LGNA 245 ♂ , LGNA 246 ♂ . Liberia . 1 ♂ , 1327m , Nimba county , ENNR , Nimba Mts , main ridge (montane forest), 7°31’1.3”N , 8°31’1.0”W , 9.xii.2017 , Light Trap (blended bulb 250W), Aristophanous, M. , Sáfián, Sz. , Simonics , G., Smith , L. leg., ANHRT :2017.33, slide No. : LGNA 583 ♂ . 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 Nos : LGNA 568 ♂ , LGNA 570 ♂ . Sierra Leone . 1 ♂ , 80m , Kalainkay nr. Kamabai , Northern Prov. , 3–6.XI.2015 , N09°10’52”, W11°56’44”, Light Trap , R . Goff coll., leg. Smith , R . & Takano, H. , ANHRT :2018.20, slide No. : LGNA 289 ♂ ; 1 ♂ , 420m , Mansonia village at the foothills of Loma Mts , N09°07’47”, W11°05’06”, 6.vi.2016 , Light Trap , leg. Takano , Miles & Goff , ANHRT :2017.18, slide No.: LGNA 471 ♂ . Zambia . 1 ♂ , 1400m , Hillwood, Ikelenge, S11°16’02”, E24°18’59’, 30.IV.–11. V .2014 , Light Trap , leg. Smith , R ., Takano, H. , Chmurova, L. & Smith , L., ANHRT :2017.11, slide No. : LGNA 103 ♂ ; 1 ♂ , same locality, but collected at 25–27.xi.2014 by Smith , R . & Takano , H., ANHRT :2017.12, slide No. : LGNA 393 ♂ . Mozambique . 1 ♂ , Maputo Special Reserve , 22m , West Gate , Sand Forest , 26°30’14.2”S , 32°42’59.6”E , 3–13.XII.2016 , Light Trap , Aristophanous, M., Cristovao, J. , László, G. , Miles, W. leg., ANHRT :2017.22, slide No. : LGNA 354♂ ; 2 ♂ , same locality and collectors, but collected at 21–30.XII.2016 , slide Nos : LGNA 517 ♂ , LGNA 518 ♂ ; 1 ♂ , same site, but collected at 21–22.II.2018 , by László, G. , Mulvaney , J. & Smith, L. , ANHRT :2018.2, slide No. : LGNA 519 ♂ ; 1 ♂ , Ponta Milibangalala , Dune Grassland , 26°26’58.6”S , 32°55’29.8”E , 25–30. V .2017 , MV Light Trap , Aristophanous, M. , László, G. , Miles , W., Vetina , A. leg., ANHRT :2017.26 ( ANHRT ). Remark. The externally variable but internally (genital morphology) fairly constant and distinctive M. monofascia has been found to be surprisingly widely distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. As the validity of the numerous related species described by Hacker ( Hacker et al. 2012 ) in the M. monofascia species-group is not supported by any firm distinctive morphological characters (cf. Hacker et al. 2012: 366 , 375, 377, 383, 384, 385, 468), M. septima , octava , heteromorpha , dissoluta , brachyvalva and pseudofuscata are synonymized here with M. monofascia . The closest relative of M. monofascia is the Madagascan taxon M. praefica ( Saalmüller, 1884 ) . Meganola monofascia is hardly distinguishable externally from the Southern African M. bispermutata Hacker, 2012 despite the considerable differences in their male genitalia (László & Vetina 2019). It is also worth noting that the three specimens identified as M. furvitincta ( Hampson, 1914 ) from Nigeria and Ivory Coast figured by Hacker et al . (2012: 380) belong in fact to M. monofascia . Distribution. South Africa , Zimbabwe , Tanzania , Uganda , Ethiopia , Tanzania , Kenya , D.R. Congo , Republic of Congo , Burundi , Nigeria , in addition, Ivory Coast ( Hacker et al. 2012 ), Senegal ( Hacker 2014 ) and Mozambique (László & Vetina 2019). The specimens from Sierra Leone , Liberia , Cameroon and Zambia represent new country records.