Contribution to the knowledge of the Nolini of the Maputo Special Reserve in South Mozambique with description of two new species and several taxonomic updates (Lepidoptera, Nolidae, Nolinae)
Author
László, Gyula M.
Author
Vetina, Alvaro A.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-03-26
4571
2
225
246
journal article
28000
10.11646/zootaxa.4571.2.3
d38f7cc0-2c64-4295-aef1-a29ca1050afd
1175-5326
2608276
7397F97C-8D29-47CB-BB41-0C2E84DBA344
Hampsonola elachistomorpha
Hacker, 2012
comb. n.
(
Figs 40, 41
,
65
,
82
)
Nolidia elachistomorpha
Hacker, 2012
, Esperiana 17: 211.
Type
locality:
Tanzania
,
Iringa
, Udzungwa.
=
Nolidia nanoxantha
Hacker, 2012
syn. n.
=
Nolidia polionana
Hacker, 2012
syn. n.
Material
examined:
Mozambique
,
Maputo
Special Reserve.
1 ♂
,
22m
,
West Gate
,
Sand Forest
,
26°30'14.2"S
,
32°42'59.6"E
,
30.V.–9.VI
.2017
, Actinic LT,
Aristophanous, M
.,
Laszlo, G
.,
Miles, W
.,
Vetina, A.
leg., slide
No.
:
LGNA
374
♂;
2 ♂
,
2 ♀
,
17m
,
Futi Corridor
(
Sand Forest
Woodland Mosaic)
26°32'10.1"S
,
32°43'09.7"E
,
23– 24.II.2018
,
Actinic Light Trap
,
Laszlo, G.
,
Mulvaney
, J.,
Smith, L.
leg., slide
Nos
:
LGNA
440
♂,
LGNA
441
♀;
1 ♀
,
22m
,
West Gate
,
Sand Forest
,
26°30'14.2"S
,
32°42'59.6"E
,
21–22.II.2018
,
Actinic Light Trap
,
Laszlo, G.
,
Mulvaney
, J.,
Smith, L.
leg. (coll.
ANHRT
)
.
Taxonomic notes.
Short series of both sexes were collected in the
Maputo
Special Reserve, providing invaluable morphological information in order to clarify the taxonomic position of the rather poorly known species. Genitalia dissections of both sexes made from the
Mozambique
specimens revealed that
Nolidia nanoxantha
Hacker, 2012
described from
Tanzania
, Usambara Mts, based on a single female specimen is conspecific with
Nolidia elachistomorpha
Hacker,
2012
in the same way as
Nolidia polionana
Hacker, 2012
is, which has been proved to be just a darker form of
N. elachistomorpha
. Regarding
N. polionana
it is also worth noting that the female
paratype
specimen figured in
Hacker
et al
(2012)
is obviously not conspecific with the male
holotype
, but belongs to
Nola crinomorpha
Hacker, 2012
. Furthermore, the placement of
elachistomorpha
into the genus
Nolidia
is also incorrect, due to the fundamental differences found in the configuration of the male genitalia:
Nolidia
has very characteristic deeply cleft bilobate valvae, being similar to the general configuration of the valvae of the genus
Nola
, possessing well developed and strongly curved, acute harpe erected basally and short, weakly sclerotized uncus. The male genitalia of
elachistomorpha
, however, has a short, rounded ventral and an elongate costal lobe of valva without deep incision between the lobes and robust, curved harpe located rather distally and a well developed but weakly sclerotized uncus; in addition, a simple tubular aedeagus without carina and cornuti on vesica. This combination of features is characteristic for the genus
Hampsonola
László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2015
, moreover,
elachistomorpha
is even externally similar to
Hampsonola tarkabarka
(
László, Ronkay & Witt, 2010
)
described from
Thailand
. In
elachistomorpha
, however, there is a conspicuous stripe of androconial hair scales located in the medial section of the valva running along the margin of the ventral lobe of valva, which character is also known in several
Hampsonola
species e.g.
H. mimetica
(
László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2014
)
,
H. csorbagabori
(
László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2014
)
,
H. geoffmartini
(
László, Ronkay & Witt, 2010
)
and
H. sapatagka
(
László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2014
)
. The female genitalia of
elachistomorpha
shares also the common characters with
Hampsonola
by having rather wide but weakly sclerotized ostium bursae, membraneous ductus bursae and a pair of well developed, thornlike signum bursae. All in all, it can be declared that the species
elachistomorpha
is a member of the genus
Hampsonola
,
representing the first Afrotropical taxon of the genus. New country record for
Mozambique
.