Meganola perfusca ( Hampson, 1911 )

Meganola perfusca ( Hampson, 1911) View in CoL

( Figs 14–16 View Figures 1–20 , 98–99 View Figures 93–101 , 146 View Figures 144–151 )

Nola perfusca Hampson, 1911 View in CoL , Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8) 8 (46): 398. TL: Nigeria, Lagos. Syntypes, 1 male, 1 female, in coll. NHMUK.

Synonymy.

Meganola melanosomalis Hacker, 2012 View in CoL syn. n., Esperiana 17: 473. TL: Ghana, Biakpa , Volta Region. Holotype, female, in coll. H. Hacker /ZSM).

Material examined (all in coll. ANHRT).

Côte d’Ivoire. 1 male, Mt. Tonkoui Peak , 07°27'15.2"N; 07°38'12.5"W, 1171m, 1–8.xi.2015, light trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. GoogleMaps , gen. slide No.: LGNA 1734; 2 females, same site, 19– 27.xi.2019, leg. Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. Gabon. 1 female, Mikongo (Rougier), Monts de Cristal ( Secondary Forest ), 430m, 0°29'47"N, 11°10'42"E, 28.vii–12.viii.2019, actinic light trap, leg. Albert GoogleMaps , J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. Guinea. 2 females, Guinee Forestiere, Bossou Forest and Institut de Recherche Environmentale de Bossou ( Lowland Forest-Farmland ), 690m, 07°38'32"N, 08°30'30"W, 24–30.vi.2019, MV light trap, leg. Dérozier, V., Suah Dore, J., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, S., Warner, R. GoogleMaps ; 3 females, 619km ESE of Conakry, Nzerekore Region, Prefecture de Lola, Ziela env., 540-600m, x.2017, 7°42'N, 8°21'W, leg. local collectors GoogleMaps . Liberia. 3 females, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts, Ridge Camp , 865m, 8°07'10"N, 9°57'11"W, 24–29.xi.2017, Cold Cathode light bucket and blended bulb (250W) light trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. GoogleMaps , gen. slide No.: LGNA 1259; 1 female, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Rosewood Camp , 585m, 8°06'14.9"N, 9°58'27.3"W, 18.xi–1.xii.2018 MV light trap (8W), leg. Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts , base camp forest, 611m, 8°07'17"N, 9°57'42"W, 20.xi–01.xii.2017, MV light trap (125W), leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts, Elephant Ridge , 1002m, 8°7'1.46"N, 9°55'24.18"W, 23–26.xi.2018, LepiLED light trap, leg. Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Lofa County, Zuwulor Village School, 230m, 7°54'52"N, 9°31'08"W, 8.xi.2017, light trap (blended bulb 250W), leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area , 530m, 7°56'36"N, 10°16'36"W, 10–19.xi.2017, 8W actinic light bucket trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. GoogleMaps ; 1 male, 750m, Nimba County, Nimba Mts, ENNR, Cellcom road, 7°33'3.78"N, 8°31'46.49"W, 16–28.xii.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8 W), leg. Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Nimba County, Nimba Mts, ENNR, Blue lake road, 583m, 7°33'38"N, 8°30'28.5"W, 7.xii.2017, general collection, leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. GoogleMaps ; 3 females, Nimba Mts, ENNR, Nimba county ( Cellcom road), 1000–1100m, 7°32'45.88"N, 8°31'21.04"W, 16–28.xii.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8W), leg. Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Nimba County, Nimba Mts, ENNR, Cellcom Road , 1300m, 7°31'2.18"N, 8°31'1.90"W, 24–28.xii.2018, light trap blended bulb (250W) & LepiLED, leg. Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Nimba county, ENNR, Nimba Mts , main ridge (montane forest), 1327m, 7°31'1.3"N, 8°31'1.0"W, 9.xii.2017, light trap (blended bulb 250W), leg. Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. GoogleMaps Republic of Congo. 2 males, Likouala Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Makao forest , 349m, 02°36'42.5"N, 17°09'23.8"E, 15–21.v.2023, actinic light trap, leg. Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G., Mvouende, S. GoogleMaps , gen. slide Nos : ANHRT 02502 , ANHRT 02505 ; 1 male, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa camp ( Secondary forest ), 341m, 02°12'36.9"N, 16°11'30.2"E, 16–23.ix.2022, MV light trap, Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H GoogleMaps .; 1 male, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mombongo camp, 352m, 02°10'30.7"N, 16°8'37.7"E, 02– 07.ii.2023, MV light trap, leg. Bakala N. GoogleMaps , M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G.; 1 male, Nouabale-Ndoki NP, Makao camp ( Secondary forest ), 377m, 2°35'42.2"N, 17°10'08.3"E, 15– 21.v.2023, MV Light Trap, leg. Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G., Mvouende, S. GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Sangha Prov., Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Bomassa forest , ( Secondary forest ), 358m, 02°11'58.1"N, 16°11'16.9"E, 17–22.ix.2022, Actinic Light Trap, leg. Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H. GoogleMaps , gen. slide No.: LGNA 1374; 1 male, 1 female, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mondika camp, 365m, 02°21'50.63"N, 16°16'25.82"E, 07–14.ii.2023, actinic light trap, leg. Bakala N. GoogleMaps , M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G., gen. slide Nos: ANHRT 03281 (male), LGNA 1375 (female) ; 1 male, 2 females, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Mbomo HQ, 570m, 00°26'13''N, 14°42'01''E, 28.ix– 01.x.2024, MV and LepiLED light trap, leg. Bashford, M., László, G., Volynkin, A. GoogleMaps , gen. slide No. : LGNA 1517 (female) ; 1 male, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Lobo Research Camp , 390m, 00°35'04"N, 14°53'12"E, 20–27.ix.2024, MV light trap, leg. Bashford, M., László, G., Volynkin, A. GoogleMaps , gen. slide No.: LGNA 1468; 1 female, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Bangassou Forest near Lobo , 400m, 00°32'50"N, 14°51'47"E, 25–26.ix.2024, LepiLED light trap, Bashford, M., László, G., Talani, M., Volynkin, A, Yaba Ngouma, S., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1480 GoogleMaps .

Genetic information. This highly distinctive species was found to be BIN-sharing with M. monofascia dissoluta (BIN URI: BOLD ABA7515). The intraspecific divergence calculated from three samples is 0.00%. Meganola perfusca diverges from M. monofascia dissoluta by 0.77–1.39%, from M. monofascia monofascia by 1.71–2.04%.

Distribution. Meganola perfusca was reported from Nigeria (type locality), Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana (as M. melanosomalis ) ( Hacker et al. 2012). This present study confirmed the occurrence of the species in Gabon, Guinea, Liberia and the Republic of Congo.

Taxonomic note. Hacker et al. (2012) treated this species under a distinct eponymous species group comprising similarly dark species. However, as the genitalia of M. perfusca are hardly distinguishable in both sexes from those of the M. monofascia complex, furthermore, M. perfusca shows very close genetic affinities to M. monofascia dissoluta (the two species are BIN sharing), the correct assignment of this peculiar species in the M. monofascia complex is beyond any doubt.

Meganola melanosomalis Hacker, 2012 View in CoL syn. n. was described from Ghana based on a single female specimen which displays identical external and genitalia characters to M. perfusca View in CoL , and consequently, it is synonymised here.