Meganola mesothermoides ( Poole, 1989 )

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 : 171

Meganola mesothermoides ( Poole, 1989)

( Figs 37–38 , 79 , 99 )

Nola mesothermoides Poole, 1989 , Lepidopterorum Catalogus 118, Noctuidae, part II: 698. Type locality: [ Ghana] Gold Coast, Bibianaha. Holotype, ♀ (NHMUK).

Nola mesotherma Hampson, 1914 , Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum, Supplement 1: 409. Nom. praeocc., junior secondary homonym of Celama mesotherma Hampson, 1909 .

Type material examined. Holotype. ♀, red ring type label, “ Gold Coast. Bibianaha. 700 ft. VI.1912. H.G.F. Spurrell. 1912-275.”, with handwritten: “ Nola mesotherma type ♀. Hmpsn.”, BMNH (E) 1403523, Slide No.: NHMUK010315152 (prep. by Gy.M. László) ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. Liberia. 1 ♂, 865m, Lofa County, 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, slide No.: LGNA 502 ( ANHRT).

Remark. The copulatory organ of the female holotype is illustrated here for the first time ( Fig. 99 ) matching with the female genitalia illustrated in Hacker et al. (2012: 460). A male specimen from Liberia in the ANHRT collection reminiscent of the female holotype is considered here to be the previously unknown male of the species ( Fig. 79 ).

Distribution. Ghana, Ivory Coast and D.R. Congo ( Hacker et al. 2012, Hacker 2014). New country record for Liberia.

Figures

FIGURES 21–40: adults (all in coll. ANHRT unless otherwise indicated). 21, Meganola furvitincta, lectotype, ♂, Sierra Leone (NHMUK); 22, M. furvitincta, ♂, Liberia; 23, M. aarviki, ♂, Ivory Coast; 24, M. spherographa, ♂, Ivory Coast; 25, M. spherographa, ♀, Liberia; 26, M. taiana sp. n., holotype, ♂, Ivory Coast; 27, M. taiana sp. n., paratype, ♂, Liberia; 28, M. taiana sp. n., paratype, ♀, Ivory Coast; 29, M. xantholeuca, ♀, Ivory Coast; 30, M. xantholeuca, ♀, Liberia; 31, M. rhyssomorpha, ♂, Ivory Coast; 32, M. rhyssomorpha, ♀, Ivory Coast; 33, M. chionea, holotype, ♂, Nigeria (NHMUK); 34, M. subchionea sp. n., holotype, ♂, Ivory Coast; 35, M. cinereoparva sp. n., holotype, ♂, Ivory Coast; 36, M. cinereoparva sp. n., paratype, ♂, Ivory Coast; 37, M. mesothermoides, holotype, ♀, Ghana (NHMUK); 38, M. mesothermoides, ♂, Liberia; 39, M. spermophaga, ♂, Liberia; 40, M. spermophaga, ♀, Sierra Leone.

FIGURES 75–83: male genitalia (all in coll. ANHRT unless otherwise indicated). 75, Meganola chionea, holotype, Nigeria, BM Arct. 6467 (prep. by Gy. M. László) (NHMUK); 76, M. subchionea sp. n., holotype, Ivory Coast, LGNA 139; 77, M. cinereoparva sp. n., holotype, Ivory Coast, LGNA 397; 78, M. cinereoparva sp. n., paratype, Ivory Coast, LGNA 137; 79, M. mesothermoides, Liberia, LGNA 502; 80, M. spermophaga, Liberia, LGNA 547; 81, M. pyrrhomorpha, Ivory Coast, LGNA 565; 82, M. foviferoides, Togo, LGNA 597; 83, M. foviferoides, Zambia, LGNA 17.

FIGURES 96–103: female genitalia (all in coll. ANHRT unless otherwise indicated). 96, Meganola fontainei, Zambia, LGNA 3; 97, M. xantholeuca, Liberia, LGNA 977; 98, M. rhyssomorpha, Ivory Coast, LGNA 984; 99, M. mesothermoides, holotype, Ghana, NHMUK010315152 (prep. by Gy.M. László) (NHMUK); 100, M. spermophaga, Sierra Leone, LGNA 462; 101, M. pyrrhomorpha, Ivory Coast, LGNA 145; 102, M. canocolorata, Ivory Coast, LGNA 981; 103, M. foviferoides, Zambia, LGNA 37.