Cerurina Kiriakoff, 1963

Mulvaney, Lydia R. J., 2021, Notes on the life history and taxonomy of Cerurina marshalli (Noctuoidea: Notodontidae: Cerurinae), Metamorphosis 32 (1), pp. 1-12 : 4-5

Genus Cerurina Kiriakoff, 1963

Type species: Cerura marshalli Hampson, 1910 by original designation.

Additional material examined: (all ANHRT): ZAMBIA. 2♀♀ – 1460 m, Mutinondo Wilderness Area, Mpika, Northern Province, 12°27′06″S, 31°17′30″E, 14‒ 17.ii.2019, General Coll., leg. Dérozier, V., Mulvaney, L. & Takano H., ANHRT:2019.4, unique numbers ANHRTUK00152996, Gen. slide No. LG 5357 ♀ and ANHRTUK00152995, Gen. slide No. LG5366 ♀; 3♂♂, 2♀♀ – 1147 m, Lukwakwa, West Lunga National Park, ( Cryptocepalum forest / Dambo ), 12°39′40″S, 24°26′13″E, 9‒15.xi.2018, MV Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., László, G. & Oram, D., ANHRT:2018.40, unique numbers ANHRTUK00061237, ANHRTUK00061234, ANHRTUK00061232, Gen. slide No. LG 5358 ♂, ANHRTUK00061206, and ANHRTUK00061207, ANHRT GEN. SLIDE NO. 00519 ♀; 2♂♂, 1♀ – same collecting locality and collectors but collected using LepiLED Light Trap, unique numbers ANHRTUK00063807, ANHRTUK00063860 and ANHRTUK00061386; 1♂ – 1316 m, Nkwaji, Mwinilunga , 11°36′22″S, 24°33′17″E, 29.x‒3.xi.2013, MV Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova, L. & Smith, L., ANHRT:2017.10, ANHRTUK00050386 ; 1♂ – 1179 m, Greystone, Kitwe , Copperbelt Province, 12°55′50″S, 28°14′29″E, 17‒ 18.xi.2014, MV Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT:2017.12, ANHRTUK00050387 ; 1♂ – 1340 m, Jiwundu Swamp , 11°51′54″S, 25°33′20″E, 20‒22.x.2014, MV Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H. & Oram, D., ANHRT:2017.12, ANHRTUK00050388 ; 3♂♂ – same locality, but collected on 29.x.‒4.xi.2018 by leg. Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., László, G. & Oram, D., using a MV Light Trap, ANHRT:2018.40, unique numbers ANHRTUK00052879, ANHRTUK00074702 and ANHRTUK00062773 ; 2♂♂ – same locality, but collected by leg. Carter, M., Lloyd, A., Miles, W., Oram, D., & Smith, R. using a MV Light Trap, ANHRT:2017.32, unique numbers ANHRTUK00133729 and ANHRTUK00133712 ; 1♂ – 1205 m, Zambezi Rapids, (Miombo / Riverine forest mosaic), 11°7′30″S 24°11′6″E, leg, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., László, G. & Oram, D., ANHRT:2018.40, ANHRTUK00052908 ; 1♀ – 1187 m, Kasanka National Park, Kabwe, 12°32′28″S, 30°12′42″E, 30.xi‒1.xii.12, MV Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., & Takano, H., ANHRT:2017.7, ANHRTUK00073574, Gen. slide No. LG 5365 ♀. IVORY COAST . 2♂♂ – 1171 m, Mt. Tonkoui Peak , 07°27′15″N, 07°38′13″W, 1‒8.xi.2015, MV Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P. & Ruzzier, E., ANHRT:2017.16, unique numbers ANHRTUK00043082, ANHRT GEN. SLIDE NO. 00315 ♂ and ANHRTUK00042916, ANHRT GEN.

SLIDE NO. 00314 ♂. SIERRA LEONE. 1♂ – 420 m , Mansonia village at the foothills of Loma Mts. , 09°07′47″N, 11°05′06″W, 6.vi.2016, MV Light Trap, leg. Takano, H., Miles, W. & Goff, R., ANHRT:2017.18, ANHRTUK00014085. TANZANIA. 7♂♂ – 1761 m , Mlangali, Livingstone Mts. , 09°46′52″S, 34°31′22″E, xii.2012, MV Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT:2018.7, unique numbers ANHRTUK00050390, ANHRTUK00050391, ANHRTUK00050392, ANHRTUK00050393, ANHRTUK00050394, ANHRTUK00050389 and ANHRTUK00081591, ANHRT GEN. SLIDE NO. 00520 ♂ . DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. 1♂ – 1700 m , Kanyatsi , Nord- Kivu, 1°22′S, 28°59′E, vi.2017, ex A. Colley, ANHRT:2018.22, ANHRTUK00158203, Gen. slide No. LG 5367 ♂ .

Remarks

Cerurina marshalli is a widely distributed species throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. There are some differences in the external morphology of specimens collected in different regions, for example, specimens from western and eastern Africa having a somewhat narrower antemedial fascia with more undulated margins than topotypical specimens.

Kiriakoff (1963) reported that despite the very wide distribution of this species it does not appear to form geographic races. Despite some minor differences in the habitus of examined specimens collected in different regions of Africa, Kiriakoff’s hypothesis probably does stand true, with there being one continuous population throughout. The male genitalia can be variable, especially the position and size of the terminal spines of the socii and the shape of the uncus tip making it difficult to split the different geographic populations, which is in agreement with Kiriakoff’s concept. It cannot be excluded however that genetic analyses could reveal that there are distinct populations, but such analyses were unfortunately beyond the scope of the current paper.

It should be emphasised that C. marshalli can be externally very similar to species in the genus Afrocerura and that in some regions they are known to be sympatric (see map, Fig. 47 ). Three species, C. marshalli , A. bifasciata bifasciata and A. cameroona were all recorded from the same light trap over a two day period in Kitwe, Zambia and are likely to be sympatric throughout the northern and eastern parts of the country as well. C. marshalli and A. leonensis are both known from a similar area in West Africa (see examined material below) and it is hypothesised that they too are sympatric and that further sampling in this region will reveal this. In such instances, dissections may be necessary to confirm identifications.

According to the collecting data, C. marshalli is on the wing in the wet season. The syntype from Zimbabwe was collected in February and other material examined from Zambia was collected in February , October , November and December. In Ivory Coast specimens were collected in November (end of rains) and in Sierra Leone in June. Specimens from Tanzania were collected in December which for much of the country is the dry season but in the south of Tanzania (where the specimens are from) it is the rainy season .

It is worth noting that Schintlmeister & Witt (2015) refer to a holotype female despite Hampson clearly stating in the original description that the type series consisted of three males and six females.

Distribution

C. marshalli is known to occur in the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa (Schintlmeister & Witt, 2015, De Prins & De Prins, 2019). The records for Gabon and Cameroon in Schintlmeister & Witt (2015) likely refer to Afrocerura cameroona (see below). Cerurina marshalli mainly inhabits dry savannah habitats but also occurs in moist forests of high elevation for example in Tanzania and D.R. Congo (Kivu). Specimens collected recently on ANHRT expeditions from Sierra Leone, represent a new country record for this species.

Figures

Figure 47: Locality map for material examined of Cerurina and Afrocerura spp., showing areas where species are known to occur sympatrically. C. marshalli (ST♀); A. leonensis (HT♀); A. bifasciata bifasciata (HT♀); A. bifasciata tanganyikae (HT♂); A. cameroona (HT♀); Cerura argentina Schultze, 1916 (ST♀); A. thomensis (HT♂).