Meganola illaudata ( Fletcher, 1958 )

László, Gyula M., 2020, Review of the genus Meganola Dyar, 1898 of Ivory Coast and adjacent areas with descriptions of 5 new species and several taxonomic updates (Lepidoptera Nolidae, Nolinae) - Taxonomic studies on West African Nolinae I., Zootaxa 4853 (2), pp. 151-182 : 180-181

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4853.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D310B8C8-A16F-4B55-B6E6-8FD5EC35DE63
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4498869
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B804878C-FFD5-A419-FF69-3E732E1EFD16
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Meganola illaudata ( Fletcher, 1958 )
status

Treatment

Meganola illaudata ( Fletcher, 1958)

( Figs 54–56 View FIGURES 41–56 , 87 View FIGURES 84–87 , 106)

Vandamia illaudata Fletcher, 1958 , Ruwenzori Expedition 1952 1 (4): 56, figs 22–24, 37. Type locality: Uganda, Ruwenzori , Ibanda. Holotype, ♂ (NHMUK).

= Meganola eburneana Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 416, syn. n.

Material examined. Ivory Coast. 1 male, 1171m, Mt. Tonkoui Peak GoogleMaps , 07°27’15.2”N; 07°38’12.5”W, 1–8.XI.2015, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. leg., ANHRT:2017.16, slide No.: LGNA 224 ♂. Liberia. 4 ♂, 6 ♀, 1165m, Nimba Mts camp, ENNR, Nimba county, 7°31’45”N, 8°31’37”W, 03–13.xii.2017, Light Trap (blended bulb 250W), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT:2017.33, slide Nos: LGNA 486 ♂, LGNA 500 ♂, LGNA 555 ♂, LGNA 556 ♂, LGNA 489 ♀, LGNA 501 ♀, LGNA 557 ♀, LGNA 558 ♀; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1000–1100m, Nimba Mts., ENNR, Nimba county ( Cellcom GoogleMaps road), 7°32’45.88”N, 8°31’21.04”W, 02–14.xii.2017, Cold Cathode Light Bucket, Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT:2017.33, slide No.: LGNA 493 ♂; 1 ♀, 611m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts GoogleMaps , base camp forest, 8°07’17”N, 9°57’42”W, 20.xi.–01.xii.2017, MV Light Trap (125W), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg., ANHRT:2017.33; 1 ♀, 865m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts, Ridge Camp GoogleMaps , 8°07’10”N, 9°57’11”W, 24–29.xi.2017, Light Trap (blended bulb 250W), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg., ANHRT:2017.33 ( ANHRT).

Remark. Meganola illaudata has unique male genitalia bearing a bifid uncus ( Fig. 87 View FIGURES 84–87 ), allowing for easy identification of an otherwise rather featureless moth. The species was described from the Ruwenzori Mts, Uganda. The genitalia of the male holotype and a female paratype are illustrated by Hacker et al. (2012) and despite his knowledge of both sexes of M. illaudata, Hacker described M. eburneana Hacker, 2012 based on a single female specimen collected in Ivory Coast showing no distinctive characters distinguishing it from M. illaudata . A long series of externally well matching males and females of M. illaudata from Liberia in the ANHRT collection confirms the conspecificity of the two species, therefore M. eburneana is synonymised here with M. illaudata . It is worth noting that the species is also figured by Hacker et al. (2012) as a female paratype specimen of M. antennata Hacker, 2012 from Pwani, Tanzania which is undoubtedly as a result of a misidentification.

Distribution. Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, D.R. Congo, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko Island) and Ivory Coast ( Hacker et al. 2012). The specimens from Liberia are new country records representing the westernmost occurrence of the species.