Ezishnola inopinata, László, 2020

László, Gyula M., 2020, On the taxonomy of Meganola cretacea (Hampson, 1914) with description of two new species (Lepidoptera, Nolidae, Nolinae), Ecologica Montenegrina 30, pp. 82-92 : 86-90

Ezishnola inopinata sp. nov. ( Figs 9-12 , 16 , 21, 22 )

Holotype. Female. “ Zambia, 1147m, Lukwakwa , West Lunga NP (Cryptosepalum forest / Dambo), S12°39'40", E24°26'13", 9-15.XI.2018, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., László, G., Oram, D. leg., ANHRT:2018.40”, unique number: ANHRTUK 00056751, slide No.: LGNA 692 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Zambia. 15 males, 1 female, with the same data as the holotype, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00055289, 00055290, 00055291, 00055293, 00055331, 00055332, 00055333, 00055435, 00055436, 00058751, 00058754, 00061221, 00061223, 00061249, 00066639, 00072250 ; 2 males, same data but collected by Lepi LED Light Trap, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00070756, 00074154 ; 1 male, same data but collected by Actinic Light Trap, unique number: ANHRTUK 00056895 ; 2 males, same locality but collected at 4-8.XI.2013 by Smith, R., Takano, H. & Oram, D., ANHRT :2017.10, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00073451, 00073452, slide Nos: LGNA 60, LGNA 93; 1 male, 1400m, Hillwood , Ikelenge, S 11°16'02", E24°18'59', 30.IV.-11.V.2014, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova, L. & Smith, L., ANHRT :2017.11, unique number: ANHRTUK 00073453, slide No.: LGNA 198; 3 males, same locality, but collected at 25-27.XI.2014 by Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT :2017.12, unique numbers: ANHRTUK 00001290, 00001289, 00073454, slide Nos: LGNA 415, LGNA 392, LGNA 292; 1 female, 1365m, Jan Fisher’ s Farm , Chingola (Miombo / Riverine forest mosaic, 12°36’10”S, 27°55’48”E, 14-17.XI.2019, MV Light Trap, Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L. leg., ANHRT:2019.25, unique number: ANHRTUK 00132526 ( ANHRT).

Diagnosis. E. inopinata is an allopatric sister species of E. cretacea distinguished by the following characters: E. inopinata has a considerably darker forewing ground colour with more sharply defined, dark greyish transverse lines and with much wider blackish irregular patches in the postmedial area compared to those of E. cretacea ; in addition, the postmedial line of the new species is continuous, whereas that of the sister species consists of a row of dots. In the male genitalia, the differences between the two taxa are subtle, the new species has a somewhat shorter uncus, a narrower, medially less dilated valvae, and slightly shorter and narrower harpe compared to E. cretacea . The differences between the two species are well expressed in the configuration of the female genitalia: E. inopinata has slightly shorter papillae anales, much shorter and thinner apophyses, somewhat wider and shorter goblet-shaped ostium bursae, a somewhat thicker ductus bursae with considerably shorter medial sclerotization, a conspicuously shorter and thicker tubular distal part and much more elongated proximal part of corpus bursae compared to those of E. cretacea ; however, the most conspicuous difference between the two species is expressed by the complete lack of signum bursae in E. inopinata , while its West African sister species has a pair of heavily sclerotized semi-circular signa bursae.

Description ( Figs 9-12 ). Forewing length 9.5-11 mm in males, 11-12 mm in females. Antenna filiform in both sexes with somewhat longer and denser ciliation in males compared to that of females.

Head relatively large, labial palps medium long, curved dorsad, inner surface greyish white, lateral and ventral surface of first and second segments dark blackish grey, third segment pale greyish white; frons and vertex pale greyish white; compound eyes moderately large, globular. Thorax whitish grey, basal twothird of collar darker greyish, abdomen creamy white – brownish white striped. Intraspecific variability limited, all known specimens are rather similar in coloration without noticeable alterations in wing pattern. Sexual dimorphism is moderately expressed in size (females slightly larger) and in coloration, namely females have slightly darker forewing and considerably darker hindwing ground colour compared to those of males.

Forewing relatively long and broad, rather quadrangular, apically rounded. Forewing ground colour pale graphite grey, with blackish grey irregular patches in the postmedian area. Sub-basal and basal lines diffuse, shadow-like, represented by groups of dark grey hair scales; antemedial line fine, dark grey, interrupted, almost straight, running angularly towards costa where it joins the medial line, forming a small but conspicuous dark grey quadrangular costal patch; medial line rather thick, slightly diffuse and shadow-like, medially angled, with lower section reaching ventral margin in right angle. Orbicular stigma rather large, rounded, consisting of raised pale whitish grey scales. Postmedial line relatively thick, very sharply defined by blackish scales, costal section broadly arcuate, ventral section straight, running parallel with medial line. Subterminal line diffuse, interrupted, shadow-like, consisted of dark graphite grey patches of different size; terminal line very fine, undulating, nearly continuous, blackish; terminal area with dark grey suffusion; cilia pale brownish grey chequered with dark grey.

Hindwing pale whitish grey in basal half, gradually darkened towards termen in males, darker grey in females; cilia whitish grey in both sexes. Underside of forewing uniformly dark graphite grey, that of hindwing pale graphite grey, darkened along the margin in males, similar but darker in females, without traces of pattern.

Male genitalia ( Figs 21, 22 ). Uncus relatively short, rather narrow, distally slightly dilated, apically with a short, fine, pointed spine; subscaphium rather long and narrow poorly sclerotized; tegumen short and broad, rather triangular; valvae weakly sclerotized, medium long, medially moderately dilated, apically broadly rounded, tongue-shaped; harpe spike-like, rather long, relatively thick, slightly arcuate, apically pointed, situated in the central plate of valva; transtillae well-developed, semi-circular, medially divided; sacculus long and broad, basal third more strongly sclerotized than apical one; fultura inferior (juxta) very small, with a pair of ear-like rounded lobes; vinculum rather broad and long, V-shaped, saccus short, apically acutely pointed. Aedeagus short and narrow, caecum penis rather long, evenly rounded; carina without sclerotization; vesica membranous in full length, without cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 16 ). Ovipositor short, trapezoidal, papillae anales conical; apophyses posteriores and anteriores rather short, conspicuously thin, posterior ones slightly longer than anteriors; 8 th tergite conspicuously short, weakly sclerotized, ribbon-like; ostium bursae moderately sclerotized, goblet-shaped, relatively short and narrow; ductus bursae very short, relatively narrow, medial quarter more strongly sclerotized than distal and proximal quarters, slightly dilated, cervix bursae membranous, rather thick, sack-like; corpus bursae membranous, distal third tubular, rather thick, dilated anteriorly, proximal half elongate ovoidal; signum bursae absent.

Etymology. The latin adjective inopinata means unexpected, referring to the surprising occurrence of a new Ezishnola species in NW Zambia.

Figures

Figures 9-14: adults. 9, Ezishnola inopinata sp. n., holotype, female, Zambia (ANHRT); 10, E. inopinata sp. n., paratype, female, Zambia (ANHRT); 11, E. inopinata sp. n., paratype, male, Zambia (ANHRT); 12, E. inopinata sp. n., paratype, male, Zambia (ANHRT); 13, E. carcassoni sp. n., holotype, female, Uganda (NHMUK); 14, E. carcassoni sp. n., paratype, male, Uganda (NHMUK).

Figures 15-18: female genitalia. 15, Ezishnola cretacea (Hampson, 1914), LGNA 990, Ghana, Bunso Arboretum (HNHM); 16, E. inopinata sp. n., holotype, LGNA 692, Zambia, Lukwakwa (ANHRT); 17, E. carcassoni sp. n. holotype, NHMUK 010316559 (Gy. M. László), Uganda, Kalinzu Forest (NHMUK); 18, E. fuscographa László, Ronkay & Witt, 2010, paratype, LGN 971, Thailand, Bo Luang (MWM/ZSM).

Figures 19-24: male genitalia. 19, Ezishnola cretacea (Hampson, 1914), LGNA 835, Guinea, Nimba Mts (ANHRT); 20, E. cretacea (Hampson, 1914), LGNA 953, Liberia, Nimba Mts (ANHRT); 21, E. inopinata sp. n., paratype, LGNA 60, Zambia, Lukwakwa (ANHRT); 22, E. inopinata sp. n., paratype, LGNA 292, Zambia, Ikelenge (ANHRT); 23, E. carcassoni sp. n. paratype, NHMUK 010316558 (Gy. M. László), Uganda, Masaka (NHMUK); 24, E. fuscographa László, Ronkay & Witt, 2010, holotype, LGN 953, Thailand, Pua (MWM/ZSM).