Meganola leucosigna Hacker, 2012

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 : 174-175

Meganola leucosigna Hacker, 2012

( Figs 46–47 , 84 , 104)

Meganola leucosigna Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 298. Type locality: Uganda, Fort Portal. Holotype, ♂ (ZSM).

Material examined. Ivory Coast. 3 ♂, 1 ♀, 1171 m, Mt Tonkoui Peak , N07°27’15,2”, W07°38’12,5”, 1–8.XI.2015, Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P. & Ruzzier, E., ANHRT:2017.16, slide Nos: LGNA 46 ♂, LGNA 263 ♂, LGNA 264 ♀. Tanzania. 1 ♀, 1137 m, Sali Forest , Mahenge Mts., S 08°56’99.7”, E36°40’24.8”, 25–27.IV.2011, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano , H., ANHRT:2017.3, slide No.: LGNA 124 ♀ ( ANHRT) .

Remark. M. leucosigna is the second member of the M. leucographa ( Fletcher, 1958) species-group sensu Hacker ( Hacker et al. 2012). The nominate taxon of the species-group was illustrated in Hacker et al. (2012) showing the male holotype and three female specimens along with their genitalia identified as M. leucographa , including a paratype. Hacker considered the two species superficially identical, although the male genitalia are strikingly different ( Hacker et al. 2012). Moreover, he suggested that the female paratype of M. leucographa was probably misidentified by Fletcher. In fact, the three female specimens (including the paratype) figured as M. leucographa are actually M. leucosigna . The only true M. leucographa is the male holotype, which displays considerably different wing pattern, especially the white postmedial line which is arched inwards in the ventral half of the forewing in M. leucographa , whereas it is conspicuously arcuate outwards in its whole length in M. leucosigna . It is worth noting, that M. leucographa seems to be nearly identical both in habitus and male genitalia with M. stenochra Hacker, 2012 described from Kivu Province, D.R. Congo. The latter species is possibly conspecific with M. leucographa , however confirmation of their synonymy requires further studies.

Distribution. Uganda, Burkina Faso Kenya, Cameroon, Ghana ( Hacker et al. 2012) and Tanzania ( Hacker 2014). Specimens from Ivory Coast represent new distribution data for the species.

Figures

FIGURES 41–56: adults (all in coll. ANHRT). 41, Meganola pyrrhomorpha, ♂, Ivory Coast; 42, M. pyrrhomorpha, ♀, Ivory Coast; 43, M. canocolorata ♀, Ivory Coast; 44, M. foviferoides ♂, Togo; 45, M. foviferoides ♀, Zambia; 46, M. leucosigna, ♂, Ivory Coast; 47, M. leucosigna, ♀, Ivory Coast; 48, M. hackeri sp. n., holotype, ♂, Ivory Coast; 49, M. hackeri sp. n., paratype, ♂, Ivory Coast; 50, M. ronkayiana, ♂, Ivory Coast; 51, M. ronkayiana, ♂, Liberia; 52, M. pyrrhosoma, ♀, Ivory Coast; 53, M. pyrrhosoma, ♀, Liberia; 54, M. illaudata, ♂, Ivory Coast; 55, M. illaudata, ♂, Liberia; 56, M. illaudata, ♀, Liberia.

FIGURES 84–87: male genitalia (all in coll. ANHRT). 84, Meganola leucosigna, Ivory Coast, LGNA 263; 85, M. hackeri sp. n., holotype, Ivory Coast, LGNA 239; 86, M. ronkayiana, Ivory Coast, LGNA 225; 87, M. illaudata, Ivory Coast, LGNA 224.