Latoia vivida ( Walker, 1865 )

Taberer, Tabitha R. & László, Gyula M., 2022, A contribution to the knowledge of the slug moths (Zygaenoidea: Limacodidae) of the Maputo Special Reserve, Metamorphosis 33 (1), pp. 6-20 : 11

Latoia vivida ( Walker, 1865) ( Figs 23–25 )

Neaera vivida Walker, 1865 , List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 32: 478. Type locality: South Africa, Natal. Syntypes, 2 males (NHMUK).

Material examined: Mozambique, MSR. 3 males, West Gate (Sand Forest, Sand Thicket), 22 m, 26°30′14.2″S, 32°42′59.6″E, 13–15.ii.2018, László, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg. ANHRT:2018.2 ; 2 males, same site and collectors, 21–22.ii.2018 ; 1 male, same site and collectors, 24–25.ii.2018 ; 1 male, same site and collectors, 9– 17.ii.2018 ; 1 male, same site and collectors, 10–17.ii.2018 ; 4 males, same site, 3–13.xii.2016, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT:2017.22 ; 5 males, same site and collectors, 21–30.xi.2016 ; 4 males, Ponta Milibangalala (Dune Grassland, Dune Forest Ecotone), 15 m, 26°26′58.6″S, 32°55′29.8″E, 17– 21.ii.2018, László, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg. ANHRT:2018.2 ; 1 female, 4 males, same site, 30.xi– 3.xii.2016, Aristophanous, M., Cristóvão, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT:2017.22 .

Distribution: This species has been collected in Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Taxonomic note: Due to the prevalent confusion in diagnoses of the green tropical and subtropical slug moths, Latoia vivida has been referred to as Latoia ( Fourie & Hull 1980) or Parasa ( Hill 2008, Evans 1968) in scientific literature. We follow Janse’s (1964) review and consider this species to belong to Latoia (pp. 118–119).

Figures

Figures 14–25. Adults (collected in the MSR and deposited in coll. ANHRT unless otherwise stated). 14 – Scotinochroa inconsequens, male; 15 – ibidem, male; 16 – Ctenolita habenichti, male; 17 – Latoia intermissa, male Syntype (NHMUK); 18 – Latoia intermissa, male; 19 – Latoia albicosta, male Syntype (NHMUK); 20 – Latoia albicosta, male; 21 – Latoia latistriga, male; 22 – ibidem, female; 23 – Latoia vivida, female; 24 – ibidem, male; 25 – ibidem, male.