Meganola bispermutata cryptochra Hacker, 2012

Meganola bispermutata cryptochra Hacker, 2012 stat. n.

( Figs 22–25 View Figures 21–40 , 102–103 View Figures 102–110 , 148 View Figures 144–151 )

Meganola cryptochra Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 270. TL: Cameroon, Kribi. Holotype, male, in coll. H. Hoppe.

Material examined (all in coll. ANHRT).

Côte d’Ivoire. 1 male, Mt. Tonkoui Peak , 1171m, 07°27'15.2"N, 07°38'12.5"W, 19–27.xi.2019, LepiLED light trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Abidjan, Banco Forest ( Parc National du Banco ), 39–48m, 05°23'03.8"N, 04°03'11.2W, 21–30.iv.2017, MV light trap, leg. Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P. GoogleMaps Guinea. 1 male, 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., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1163 GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Nimba Mts, SMFG concession area (Societe des Mines de Fer de Guinee) 600 Forest , 1500m, 7°39'49.93"N, 8°22'22.19"W, 21–30.viii.2017, Cold Cathode UV light trap (8W), leg. Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1247 GoogleMaps ; 9 males, 3 females, Guinee Forestiere Monts Nimba UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mont Richard Molard camp and ridge (High-Altitude Grassland & Forest), 1400–1752m, 07°36'19"N, 08°25'30"W, 1–7.vii.2019, UV Cold Cathode, LepiLED and 250W Blended light trap, leg. Dérozier, V., Miles, W., Sáfián, Sz., gen. slide Nos: LGNA 1545 (male) GoogleMaps , LGNA 1585, LGNA 1552 (females); 4 males, 1 female, 619km ESE of Conakry, Nzerekore Region, Prefecture de Lola, Ziela env., 540–600m, x.2017, 7°42'N, 8°21'W, leg. local collectors, gen. slide Nos: LGNA 1571 GoogleMaps , LGNA 1760, LGNA 1793 (males). Republic of Congo. 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, leg. Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1388 GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mombongo camp, 352m, 02°10'30.7"N, 16°8'37.7"E, 02–07.ii.2023, actinic light trap, leg. Bakala N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1392 GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mbeli camp, 372m, 02°14'23.8"N, 16°23'52.1"E, 14–20.ii.2023, MV light trap, Bakala N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G., gen. slide No.: ANHRT 02311 GoogleMaps ; 1 female, same site, 1–10.x.2022, leg. Dérozier, V., Fouka, B., Kirk-Spriggs, A., Takano, H., gen. slide No.: ANHRT 02221 ; 1 female, 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., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1410 GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Mondika camp, 365m, 02°21'50.63"N, 16°16'25.82"E, 07–14.ii.2023, MV light trap, leg. Bakala N., M., Dérozier, V., Kirk-Spriggs, A., László, G., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1399 GoogleMaps ; 1 male, 1 female, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Lobo Research Camp , 390m, 00°35'04"N, 14°53'12"E, 20–27.ix.2024, MV and LepiLED light trap, leg. Bashford, M., László, G., Volynkin, A., Yaba Ngouma, S., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1491 GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Odzala-Kokoua National Park , Mbomo HQ, 570m, 00°26'13''N, 14°42'01''E, 19–22.iv.2024, MV light trap, leg. Bashford, M., László, G., Talani, M., Yaba Ngouma S., gen. slide No.: LGNA 1353 GoogleMaps . Sierra Leone. 1 male, Mansonia village at the foothills of Loma Mts , 420m, 09°07'47"N, 11°05'06"W, 6.vi.2016, light trap, leg. Takano, Miles & Goff, gen. slide No.: LGNA 461 GoogleMaps ; 1 male, 120m, Tiwai Island, Moa River , 07°33'00"N, 11°21'09"W, 17–22.vi.2016, light trap, leg. Takano, Miles & Goff, gen. slide No.: LGNA 469 GoogleMaps .

Genetic information. This taxon has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD ABU7264; BIN-sharing with M. bispermutata bispermutata . A single female specimen from Guinea (gen. slide No.: LGNA 1552), showing no morphological differences to other West African specimens, belongs to a different BIN URI: BOLD AFG3904. The intraspecific divergence calculated from six samples (excluding the diverging specimen) is 0.00–0.31%. This subspecies diverges from the nominotypical M. bispermutata by 0.61– 1.31%. The morphologically closest taxa are M. diagrapha and M. saotomeana sp. n., diverging by 2.82–2.99% and 2.03–2.35%, respectively.

Taxonomic note. The western-central African populations of M. bispermutata exhibit identical genital morphology to those found in southern-eastern Africa. However, they can be distinguished by their somewhat smaller size and paler forewing markings observed in West African individuals. Due to these minor but consistent differences in external appearance, a West African subspecies, separate from the nominotypical M. bispermutata can be recognised. The name M. cryptochra Hacker , introduced for a species from Cameroon, can be applied to the western M. bispermutata populations: M. bispermutata cryptochra stat. n.

Distribution. The western-central African M. cryptochra was earlier known from Cameroon (type locality) ( Hacker et al. 2012). The specimens from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, the Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone represent new country records.