Poloma variegata ( Rothschild, 1917 )

Poloma variegata ( Rothschild, 1917)

( Figs 5–8 View FIGURES 1–8 , 18 View FIGURES 17–20 , 22 View FIGURES 21–24 )

Hemijana variegata Rothschild, 1917: 490 . Type locality: [ Mozambique] “Delagoa Bay”.

Hemijana variegata — Gaede 1927: 302; Vári et al. 2002: 150; Oberprieler et al. 2003: 100; Kitching & Rougerie et al. 2018: suppl. material 1; Staude et al., 2020: 24; Krüger 2020: 138.

Poloma variegata — Takano & László 2022: 13, figs 46–47 (comb.)

Type material examined: Holotype ♂ ( NHMUK): “Type [circular label with red border] // Delag. B. or / Angola / (Monteiro). [black border] // Hemijana / griseola [sic] / Type Rothsch. [handwritten in L.W. Rothschild’s hand] // Hemijana / variegata R. / Holotype / det. A. Watson 1965 / [Inspite of above / label—see orig. descr.] [partially handwritten] // NHMUK 014200399 [QR Code]”.

Other material examined (50♂♂ 2♀♀): MOZAMBIQUE: Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate , 22 m, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 21–30.xi.2016, leg. M. Aristophanous, J. Cristovão, G. László & W. Miles (2♂♂ ANHRT) GoogleMaps ; SOUTH AFRICA: Kwazulu-Natal: Belvedere Game Ranch , 430 m, 27°31'S, 31°45'E, 22–26.ii.2018, leg. V. Kovtunovich & R. Yakovlev (47♂♂ 2♀♀ ANHRT) GoogleMaps ; Limpopo: Ingwe Ranch, Soutpansberg , 14–15.x.1999, leg. W. Mey (1♂ MfN) .

Records from literature: SOUTH AFRICA: Tshukudu Game Reserve, Hoedspruit and Xilutsi, Acornhoek ( Staude et al. 2020).

Diagnosis. Forewing length: male: 20–24 mm, female: 21–25 mm. See above under P. angulata for differential diagnoses.

Foodplants. Canthium armatum ( Rubiaceae ) ( Kroon 1999: 79; Staude et al. 2020: 24), Pyrostria histrix ( Rubiaceae ) ( Staude et al. 2023: 246).

Distribution. This species has a much more restricted distribution than P. angulata and is associated with woodland and open habitats on the escarpment as well as coastal habitats in north-eastern South Africa and coastal south-western Mozambique ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 21–24 ).

Description of a new genus