Meganola argyrolepis marleyi (van Son, 1933 )

László, Gyula M. & Vetina, Alvaro A., 2019, 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), Zootaxa 4571 (2), pp. 225-246 : 233-235

Meganola argyrolepis marleyi (van Son, 1933)

( Figs 23, 24 , 56 , 76 )

Nola argyrolepis marleyi van Son, 1933 , Annals of the Transvaal Museum 15: 220. Type locality: [ RSA] Zululand, St. Lucia Lake. Holotype female, in coll. TMSA.

Material examined: Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve. 2 ♀, 22m, West Gate, Sand Thicket , 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 3–13.XII.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristovao, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide Nos: LGNA 320 ♀, LGNA 343 ♀; 2 ♂, same site and collectors, but collected at 21–30.XI.2016, slide Nos: LGNA 341 ♂, LGNA 452 ♂; 2 ♂, same locality and collectors, but collected in Sand Forest at 3–13.XII.2016, slide No: LGNA 342 ♂; 1 ♂, same locality but collected at 30.V.–9. VI .2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Laszlo , G., Miles, W. and Vetina, A. leg., slide No.: LGNA 380 ♂; 1 ♀, 18m, Hygrophilous Grass-Sand Forest Ecotone, 26°28’32.6”S, 32°45’7.7”E, 10.XII.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristovao, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide No.: LGNA 344 ♀; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 22m, West Gate, Sand Thicket , 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 10–17.II.2018, MV Light Trap, Laszlo, G., Mulvaney , J., Smith, L. leg., slide Nos: LGNA 450 ♀, LGNA 451 ♀; 1 ♂, same site and collectors but collected at 24–25.II.2018 (coll. ANHRT and MHNM) .

Remark. The specimens of the Southern African population of M. argyrolepis differ from those of the nominate subspecies by their darker, more colourful forewing and considerably paler, whitish hindwing, justifying the subspecific separation. In the male and female genitalia there are no significant differences found between ssp. marleyi and the nominate subspecies. New country record for Mozambique.

Figures

FIGURES 17–30. Mecothrix and Meganola spp.: adults (all in coll. ANHRT except where otherwise indicated) 17, Mecothrix maputuana László sp. n., paratype, ♀, Mozambique; 18, M. maputuana László sp. n., paratype, ♀, Mozambique;19, M. omphalota Lectotype, ♂, Nigeria (©NHMUK); 20, M. omphalota, ♀, Gambia; 21, Meganola leucalea, ♂, Mozambique; 22, M. leucalea, ♀, Mozambique; 23, M. argyrolepis marleyi, ♂, Mozambique; 24, M. argyrolepis marleyi, ♀, Mozambique; 25, M. bipartita, ♂, Mozambique; 26, M. bipartita, ♀, Mozambique; 27, M. bipartita, ♀, Mozambique; 28, M. patricia, ♂, Mozambique; 29, M. patricia, ♀, Mozambique; 30, M. lucia, ♂, Mozambique.

FIGURES 53–61. Mecothrix and Meganola spp.: male genitalia (all in coll. ANHRT except where otherwise indicated). 53, Mecothrix maputuana László sp. n., paratype, Mozambique, slide LGNA 303; 54, M. omphalota lectotype, Nigeria, slide BM Arctiidae 452 (©NHMUK); 55, Meganola leucalea, Mozambique, slide LGNA 330; 56, M. argyrolepis marleyi, Mozambique, slide LGNA 341; 57, M. bipartita, Mozambique, slide LGNA 345; 58, M. patricia, Mozambique, slide LGNA 348; 59, M. lucia, Mozambique, slide LGNA 447; 60, M. bispermutata, Mozambique, slide LGNA 358; 61, M. monofascia, Mozambique, slide LGNA 354.

FIGURES 76–83. Meganola and Hampsonola spp.: male genitalia (coll. ANHRT). 76, M. argyrolepis marleyi, Mozambique, slide LGNA 320; 77, M. bipartita, Mozambique, slide LGNA 346; 78, M. patricia, Mozambique, slide LGNA 349; 79, M. lucia, Mozambique, slide LGNA 352; 80, M. bispermutata, Mozambique, slide LGNA 521; 81, M. infuscata, Mozambique, slide LGNA 384; 82, Hampsonola elachistomorpha, Mozambique, slide LGNA 441; 83, ’Hampsonola’ elachistonana, Mozambique, slide LGNA 508.