Neomardara africana (Holland, 1893)

Figs 1–3, 10–12, 17, 18, 23, 24)

Lepasta africana Holland, 1893, Entomological News 4(10): 343. Type locality: [Gabon] Kangwé, Valley of the Ogooué River. Holotype, male in coll. CMNH.

Type material examined.

Holotype (Fig. 3). Male, [label with double-lined pink margins, with handwritten] “ Lepasta / africana, Holl. / Type. Ogoué. / Good. // “217” (CMNH).

Additional material examined.

Gabon. 1 male, Mikongo (Rougier), Monts de Cristal (Secondary Forest), 430m, 0°29’47”N, 11°10’42”E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, MV Light Trap, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT:2019.17, gen. slide No.: LG 6041 ; 1 male, Ogooue Ivindo P.N. Ivindo, Station de Recherche, d'Ipassa 450m, 0°30’43”N, 12°48’12”E, 14–26.vi.2016, Light Trap, Ruzzier, E., Tasane, T. leg., ANHRT:2017.19, gen. slide No.: LG 6041 (ANHRT) . Guinea. 1 male, Dalaba, Foret de Goubel, 1413m, 10°39’27”N, 12°15’44”W, 10–18.ix.2019, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Leno, M., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L., Sáfián, Sz. leg., ANHRT:2019.19, gen. slide No.: LG 6043 ; 1 male, Guinee Forestiere, Foret Classee de Ziama, Seredou (Lowland Forest-Farmland), 625m, 08°21’26”N, 09°17’48”W, 9–16.vii.2019, MV Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, Sz., Warner, L. leg., ANHRT:2019.11, gen. slide No.: LG 6051 (ANHRT) . Ivory Coast. 2 males, Tai NP, Tai Research Station, 174m, 05°49’59.8”N, 07°20’32.0”W, 14–23.xi.2015, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. leg. ; Liberia. 1 male, Grand Cape Mount County, Lake Piso area (Bomi forest - savannah mosaic), 15m, 6°39’19.19”N, 11°7’71.35(sic!)”W, 2–9.i.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz. Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT:2017.33, gen. slide No.: LG 6050 (ANHRT) . Republic of Congo. 1 male, Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park, Mondika camp, 365m, 02°21’50.63”N, 16°16’25.82”E, 07–14.ii.2023, actinic light trap, Bakala N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G. leg., ANHRT:2023.3 (ANHRT). Sierra Leone. Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve, 180m, 24.x.2015, N08°20’57”, W13°10’42”, Light Trap, R. Goff coll., leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H. (ANHRT) .

Distribution. Neomardara africana was earlier reported from Burundi (Dall’Asta 2004), Cameroon (Hering 1926), DRC (Collenette 1960), Equatorial Guinea (Strand 1914), Ghana (Dall’Asta 2004), Nigeria (Swinhoe 1903), Rwanda (Dall’Asta 2004) and Sierra Leone (Swinhoe 1903). This current research found this species to be occurring in Ivory Coast, Liberia and the Republic of Congo representing new country records. Interestingly, a single male specimen was collected at the Mondika camp of Nouabalé- Ndoki National Park demonstrating a sympatric distribution of N. africana and N. mondika in the region.