Meganola canocolorata Hacker, 2012

Meganola canocolorata Hacker, 2012 View in CoL

( Figs 91–92 View Figures 81–92 , 141–143 View Figures 138–143 , 167 View Figures 160–167 )

Meganola canocolorata Hacker, 2012 View in CoL , Esperiana 17: 440. TL: Côte d’Ivoire, Katiola. Holotype, female, in coll. ZSM.

Synonymy.

Meganola taiana László, 2020 , syn. n., Zootaxa 4853 (2): 164. TL: Côte d’Ivoire, Tai NP, Tai Research Station . Holotype, male, in coll. ANHRT.

Material examined (all in coll. ANHRT).

Côte d’Ivoire. 3 males, Tai NP. Tai Research Station, 174m, 05°49'59.8"N, 07°20'32.0W, 14– 23.xi.2015, light trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E., gen. slide Nos: LGNA 142 (holotype of M. taiana ), LGNA 147, LGNA 209 (paratypes of M. taiana ); 2 females, same site, 25.iii– 17.iv.2017, actinic and MV light trap, leg. Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P., gen. slide Nos: LGNA 400, LGNA 981. Guinea. 1 female, Geipa Camp, Foret de Diecke, 435m, 7°26'7.06"N, 8°50'47.87"W, 05–14.iv.2019, light trap, blended bulb (250W), leg. Sáfián, Sz., Koivogui, S., gen. slide No.: LGNA 987. Liberia. 1 female, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Sinoe County, Juboe River, 7.5km South West Pellokon Town, 140m, 5°39'4"N, 8°39'4"W, 14–21.i.2018, Cold Cathode UV bucket light trap, leg. Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., gen. slide No.: LGNA 985; 1 female, Welezu Camp, Wonegizi Nature Reserve, Lofa County, 551m, 8°4'57.11"N, 9°34'47.86"W, 19–27.iii.2019, Cold Cathode UV light trap (8W), leg. Sáfián, Sz., Koivogui, S., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1260; 1 male, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area, 530m, 7°56'36"N, 10°16'36"W, 10–19.xi.2017, MV light trap (125W), leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L., gen. slide No.: LGNA 551 (paratype of M. taiana ); 1 male, Nimba Mts camp, ENNR, Nimba county, 1165m, 7°31'45"N, 8°31'37"W, 03–13.xii.2017, light trap (blended bulb 250W), leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L., gen. slide No.: LGNA 487 (paratype of M. taiana ). Sierra Leone. 4 males, Tiwai Island, Moa River, 120m, 07°33'00"N, 11°21'09"W, 17–22.vi.2016, light trap, leg. Takano, Miles & Goff, gen. slide Nos: LGNA 409, LGNA 515, LGNA 564 (paratypes of M. taiana ), LGNA 1252.

Genetic information. This species has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD AEJ4832. The intraspecific divergence calculated from five samples is 0.00%. Genetic analyses indicate that M. taiana László, 2020 syn. n., is conspecific with M. canocolorata , which was described based on a female holotype. This species is genetically distinct from all other taxa in the complex and has a similar PDW to M. fontainei (4.18–4.42%), M. bispermutata cryptochra (4.09–4.41%), M. trigonographa (4.25–4.42%), and M. dicranographa (4.41–4.42%), making these its closest relatives.

Taxonomic notes. Meganola canocolorata was described based on a single female specimen from Côte d’Ivoire. While the external appearance of this species is not particularly distinctive, the configuration of the female genitalia is relatively unique. It is characterized by a short and thick ductus bursae with asymmetrical laterodistal sclerotisation and a relatively large, ovoid corpus bursae that features two flat signa. The only other species exhibiting a similar female genitalia configuration is M. odzala Hacker, 2012 .

In the collections of the ANHRT, several female specimens from West African localities were found with genital structures that closely match the illustration of M. canocolorata in Hacker et al. (2012). Thanks to large-scale DNA barcoding of the Nolinae material at ANHRT, the male of M. canocolorata has been identified from Sierra Leone and, as part of the paratype series of M. taiana László, 2020 , from Liberia.

The ML analysis revealed that the female specimens included in the paratype series of M. taiana actually belong to M. palaeographa , as previously discussed.

Consequently, based on the genetic identity of morphologically identified females of M. canocolorata and the male type specimens of M. taiana , this latter species is synonymised here with the former: M. taiana syn. n.

Conclusions

This study aimed to revise the taxonomy of a diverse and complex group of species that resemble Meganola monofascia and establish a consistent species group classification. The taxa of these species groups are often externally indistinguishable from one another, and, at the same time, several taxa display remarkable polymorphism, further complicating their identification.

The new species grouping system combines diagnostic genital morphology with genetic analyses based on DNA barcodes. This integrative approach has led to a morphology-based classification that identifies three species groups, aligning perfectly with the genetic findings: each morphological group corresponds to a monophyletic cluster in the phylogenetic tree. The molecular studies also clarified male and female individuals for several species, correcting previous taxonomic errors that mistakenly treated different sexes as distinct species or incorrectly paired non-conspecific males and females within a single species.

The M. monofascia-furvitincta-bispermutata complexes represent one of the most taxonomically challenging groups within the genus. Preliminary analyses have uncovered additional discrepancies in previous classifications concerning other Meganola species groups as well. This indicates the need for further integrative studies on the remaining Afrotropical Meganola taxa (László in prep.).

It is important to emphasize that, despite the publication of numerous comprehensive works over the past decade, our understanding of Afrotropical Nolini at the species level remains incomplete, with many taxa still awaiting description. Hacker et al. (2012) estimated that 70 to 90 species are yet to be discovered in the Afrotropics. Based on material currently being studied at ANHRT, more than 100 Nolini taxa have already been identified as undescribed. Over half of these are from the previously neglected northern region of the Republic of Congo, while the remaining new species are expected to be found in West Africa and the Zambian plateau (László in prep.).

Acknowledgements

The author is indebted to Alberto Zilli and Geoff Martin ( NHMUK) for facilitating access to the Nolini type material under their care. Image of the lectotype of M. furvitincta used with permission and are copyright of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, made available under Creative Commons License 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Anthony Kingston (Albrighton, UK) is thanked for the loan of Nolinae specimens for this study. Paul D.N. Hebert (CBG, Guelph, Canada), Evgeny Zakharov (CCDB, Guelph, Canada) and their competent teams are thanked for their continuous support in DNA barcoding of Nolidae . The genetic analyses would not have been possible without Sujeevan Ratnasingham (CBG, Guelph, Canada), who developed the BOLD database. Oleg Pekarsky (Budapest, Hungary) prepared several genital slides used in this study. The author is especially grateful to Gabriella László ( ANHRT) for her exceptional skill in mounting thousands of Nolini specimens.

The following collaborative partners are thanked for facilitating ANHRT field work and issuing the necessary research and export permits.

Côte d'Ivoire: the Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique; the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves ( OIPR) and the Société de Développement des Forêts (SODEFOR). Gabon. Scientific research was authorised by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CENAREST) in collaboration with the Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku ( USTM). Rougier Gabon is thanked for allowing access to concession forest. Guinea: Mamadou Diawara, ( Guineé Ecologie); Colonel Layaly Camara, Cece Papa Konde (Ministère de l’Environment et aux Eaux et Forêts); Jamison Suter (Societe des Mines de Fer de Guineé). Liberia. Annika Hiller (Wild Chimpanzee Foundation), Jerry Garteh (Society for the Conservation of Nature), Darlington Tuaben, Mike C. Doryen and Kederick F. Johnson (Forestry Department Authority, Liberia). Mozambique: Bartolomeu Soto, Mateus Mutemba and Antony Chilengue (Administração Nacional das Areas de Conservação, Maputo); Lucilia Chuquela, Kisimenda Muambalo, Anacleto Cossa and Alvaro Vetina (Museu de História Natural de Maputo); Majka Burhardt and Marcos Assane (LEGADO Namuli, Gurue). Republic of Congo: Richard Malonga, Morgane Cournarie, Vittoria Estienne, Ben Evans, Onesi Samba and Yako Valentin (WCS, Parc National de Nouabalé-Ndoki); Jonas Erickson, Gwili Gibbon, Sylvain Yaba Ngouma, Adrich Mouamana (African Parks, Parc National d’Odzala-Kokoua), Merlia Talani (Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville), the Ministère de l’Enseignement Superieur de la Recherche Scientifique et de l’Innovation Technologique, Joseph Moumbouilou and Jean Bosco Nganongo (Direction de la Faune et des aires protégées, DEFAP), Joseph Goma-Tchimbakala, Victor Mamonekene (Institut National de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, IRSEN). Zambia: Rhoda Kachali (Department of National Parks and Wildlife – ZAWA, Lusaka), Claire Mateke and Martha Imakando (Livingstone Museum, Livingstone).

The author declares that, to the best of his knowledge, he conforms to the national regulations and meets with the conditions and requirements of International Conventions concerning collecting/export and handling of the specimens presented in this Article.

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