Hampsonola argyropasta ( Hampson, 1914 ) László, 2022

László, Gyula M., 2022, Taxonomic studies on Afrotropical Nolinae: review of the Afrotropical taxa of the genus Hampsonola László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2015, descriptions of five new genera and five new species and introduction of a new synonymy (Lepidoptera, Nolidae), Zootaxa 5169 (2), pp. 147-164 : 150-151

Hampsonola argyropasta ( Hampson, 1914) comb. n.

( Figs 6–8 , 24 , 34–35 )

Celama argyropasta Hampson, 1914 , Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum. Supplement Volume 1: 392. Type locality: [ Ghana] Gold Coast, Bibianaha. Holotype, female (NHMUK).

Type material examined. Holotype, female. Red circular label “Type” / “ Gold Coast. Bibianaha. 23.X–2.XI.1911. H.G.F. Spurrell. 1911-431.” / with handwritten “ Celama argyropasta type ♀. Hmpsn.” / QR code label with unique number “NHMUK010598788” / genitalia slide No. “SLIDE NHMUK010317591” (prepared by László) ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. Liberia. 1 male, Liberia, 140m, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Sinoe County, Juboe River , 7.5km South West Pellokon Town, 5°39’4”N, 8°39’4”W, 14–21.i.2018, Cold Cathode UV Bucket Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg. ANHRT:2017.33, gen. slide No.: LGNA 1229, BOLD process/DNA barcode id.: ANLMN2800-21/ANHRTUK00101064 ; 1 female, 611m, Lofa County, Wologizi Mts , 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. gen. slide No.: LGNA 599, BOLD process/DNA barcode id.: ANLMN2801-21/ ANHRTUK00026556 ; 1 male, 15m, Grand Cape Mount County, Lake Piso area (Bomi forest—savannah mosaic), 6°39’19.19”N, 11°7’71.35(sic!)”W, 2–9.I.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz. Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT:2017.33 ( ANHRT) .

Taxonomic note. Hacker et al. (2012) treated the species as a Meganola without studying the genitalia of the female holotype. As the facies of the species is highly reminiscent of Meganola nanographa Hacker, 2012 , the examination of the holotype genitalia of Celama argyropasta was crucial in order to elucidate its generic position and test the validity of Hacker’s taxon. The dissections of the C. argyropasta holotype collected in Ghana, and a series of DNA barcoded West African and Gabonese specimens of both sexes have revealed that the West African argyropasta and M. nanographa described from Uganda belong to the genus Hampsonola rather than to Meganola . In the male genitalia, the two species are distinguished by the less dilated dorsal arm of the valva and the considerably more curved aedeagus of H. nanographa . The females of the two taxa differ in the somewhat longer apophyses and considerably larger signa bursae of argyropasta compared to the Gabonese specimens. Analyses of DNA barcodes have confirmed the conspecifity of the Gabonese specimens and the holotype of M. nanographa (BOLD process/DNA barcode id.: GWOSG784-10/BC ZSM Lep 41781), and furthermore, a pairwise distance of 3.31% was calculated between the West African H. argyropasta and Central African H. nanographa , corroborating the observed morphological divergence. Consequently, H. argyropasta and H. nanographa are confirmed here as distinct species and transferred to the genus Hampsonola : Hampsonola argyropasta ( Hampson, 1914) comb. n., Hampsonola nanographa ( Hacker, 2012) comb. n.

Description of the male genitalia ( Fig. 24 ). Uncus short, narrow, gradually tapered, apically pointed. Tegumen long and narrow. Subscaphium short and narrow, weakly sclerotized, proximally finely scobinate. Valva broad at base, costal lobe long and narrow, apically slightly clubbed, ventral lobe short, ventral margin evenly rounded, dorsal margin produced into a short point. Medio-distal part of valva with a short rugged crest bearing long androconial scales. Sacculus short and broad, trapezoidal; harpe very long, slightly S-curved, apically dilated and rounded, twice as long as length of ventral valval lobe. Juxta short, simple, overturned C-shaped. Vinculum moderately long, very narrow, apically pointed. Aedeagus short and thin, slightly S-curved, postmedially tapered, apically slightly dilated bearing a rounded subapical plate; coecum penis short, rounded; vesica without cornuti or scobination.

Description of the female genitalia ( Figs 34–35 ). Ovipositor rather short and broad, papilla analis trapezoidal, posterior apophysis rather long and thick. Eighth tergite very short, medially constricted, anterior apophysis almost as long as posterior one, rather thin. Ostium bursae moderately sclerotized, cup-shaped, ductus bursae tubular, relatively long, moderately thick; cervix bursae unmodified, ductus seminalis relatively thick. Distal tubular part of corpus bursae short, ca. one-fifth of length of bursa, dilated proximal part of corpus bursae ovoid, with two welldeveloped, apically acute, more or less thorn-shaped signum situated wide apart from one another.

Genetic information. The species has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AEK6843. The intraspecific divergence based on two samples is 1.08%. The nearest neighbour of H. argyropasta is H. nanographa with a pairwise distance of 3.31%. The genetic divergence between H. argyropasta and H. elachistomorpha is discussed under the latter species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–15. adults (coll. ANHRT, unless otherwise indicated). 1, Hampsonola elachistomorpha, ♀, Mozambique; 2, Ibidem, ♀, Zambia; 3, Ibidem, ♂, Zambia; 4, H. aulombardiella, ♂, Kenya (coll. A. Kingston); 5, Ibidem, ♀, Kenya (coll. A. Kingston); 6, H. argyropasta, holotype of Celama argyropasta, ♀, [Ghana] Gold Coast (©NHMUK); 7, Ibidem, ♂, Liberia; 8, Ibidem, ♀, Liberia; 9, H. nanographa, ♂, Gabon; 10, Ibidem, ♀, Gabon; 11, H. transecta, syntype of Nola transecta, ♂, Sierra Leone (©NHMUK); 12, Ibidem, syntype of Nola transecta, ♂, Sierra Leone (©NHMUK); 13, Gabonola gen. n. smithi sp. n., holotype, ♂, Gabon; 14, Bellanola gen. n. mikongo sp. n., holotype, ♂, Gabon; 15, Ibidem, paratype, ♂, Gabon.

FIGURES 22–27. male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus (coll. ANHRT, unless otherwise indicated). 22, Hampsonola elachistomorpha, Zambia, LGNA 1062; 23, H. aulombardiella, Kenya, LGNA 1298 (coll. A. Kingston); 24, H. argyropasta, Liberia, LGNA 1229; 25, H. nanographa, Gabon, LGNA 1227; 26, H. transecta, syntype of Nola transecta, Sierra Leone, NHMUK 010317594 (prepared by László) (©NHMUK); 27, Gabonola gen. n. smithi sp. n., holotype, Gabon, LGNA 1171.

FIGURES 32–37. female genitalia (coll. ANHRT, unless otherwise indicated). 32, Hampsonola elachistomorpha, Zambia, LGNA 1063; 33, H. aulombardiella, Kenya, LGNA 1299 (coll. A. Kingston); 34, H. argyropasta, holotype of Celama argyropasta, [Ghana] Gold Coast, NHMUK 010317591 (prepared by László) (©NHMUK); 35, Ibidem, Liberia, LGNA 599; 36, H. nanographa, Gabon, LGNA 1228; 37, Cryptonola gen. n. confundata sp. n., paratype, Ivory Coast, LGNA 602.