Neomardara divergens Collenette, 1931

László, Gyula M. & Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, Review of the genus Neomardara Hering, 1926 with descriptions of two new species and updated information on the distribution of the genus (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Lymantriinae), Ecologica Montenegrina 68, pp. 103-126 : 118-123

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.37828/em.2023.68.11
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:76BF1AFB-EC66-409E-8BC4-BD420BB68C19
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E63B8783-3478-765B-A499-8ABEFAF8FB0B
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Neomardara divergens Collenette, 1931
status

Treatment

Neomardara divergens Collenette, 1931 View in CoL

( Figs 13–15 View Figures 10–18 , 26–28 View Figures 26–31 , 40–41 View Figures 38–43 , 53–55 View Figures 53–58 , 65–67 View Figures 65–70 , 77–79 View Figures 77–82 , 89–90 View Figures 89–92 )

Neomardara divergens Collenette, 1931 View in CoL , Transactions of the entomological Society of London 79(2): 350. Type locality: [ Zambia] NW Rhodesia, Solwezi. Holotype, male in coll. NHMUK.

Type material examined.

Holotype ( Fig. 6 View Figures 1–9 ). Male , [red ring label] “Type” // “N. W. Rhodesia: / Solwezi. / 1.xi.1917. / H.C. Dollman. / 1919-79” // [with handwritten] “ Neomardara / divergens, / Collenette. / Holotype.” // “Areole / present.”, QR code label with unique id.: NHMUK 014173319 About NHMUK ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined.

Zambia. Long series of both sexes, Hillwood, Ikelenge ( Miombo / Riverine forest mosaic), 1400m, 11°16’02”S, 24°18’59”E, 17–24.iii.2013, 21–28.x.2013; 25–27.xi.2014, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H. GoogleMaps ; 30.iv.– 11.v.2014, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova, L., Smith, L. GoogleMaps ; 23–30.xi.2019, 7–10.xii.2019, Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L. leg., ANHRT : 2019.25, gen. slide Nos : LG 6044 (male), LG 6217 (female); 5– 11.vi.2021, MV Light Trap, Chizuwa, D., Choongo, W. leg. ANHRT :2022.5; 4 males, Nkwaji, Mwinilunga , 1316m, 11°36’22”S, 24°33’17”E, 5–8.v.2014, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova L., Smith, L. GoogleMaps ; 3 males, same site, 17–21.v.2015, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H. & Aristophanous, M.; 2 males, Camp near Kanyama, ( Miombo / Riverine / Dambo mosaic), 1375m, 11°25’36”S, 24°40’00”E, 4–7.xii.2019, MV Light Trap, Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L. leg., ANHRT GoogleMaps :2019.25; 1 female, Nyangombe Falls, (Miombo / Riverine forest mosaic), 1300m, 11°48’25”S, 24°32’12”E, 17–23.xi.2019, MV Light Trap, Bashford, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, R., Smith, R. leg., ANHRT GoogleMaps :2019.25, gen. slide No.: LG 6052; 1 female, Jiwundu Swamp , 1340m, S11°51’54”, E25°33’20”, 21–24.xi.2014, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H. ; 1 male, Chavuma Forest Reserve , 1080m, 13°04’07”S, 22°55’45”E, 25–27.iv.2014, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova, L., Smith, L. GoogleMaps ; 1 male, Kalene Hill ( Miombo woodland), 1440m, 11°11’11”S, 24°12’5”E, 27.xi.–3.xii.2020, MV Light Trap Chizuwa, D., Choongo, D. leg. ANHRT GoogleMaps :2022.4; 1 male, 1147m, Lukwakwa, West Lunga NP ( Cryptosepalum forest/ Dambo ), 12°39’40”S, 24°26’13”E, 28– 29.iv.2014, Light Trap, Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova, L., Smith, L. leg. ANHRT GoogleMaps :2018.40; 2 males, Senka Hill, Mukulizi Forest Reserve , Muchinga Province, 1566m, 09°05’43”S, 32°05’06”E, 1–6.v.2019, MV and actinic light trap, Dérozier, V., László, G., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT GoogleMaps :2019.12, gen. slide No.: LG 6045; 3 males, Lunzua Falls , 20 km S of Mpulungu, Northern Province, 1416m, 08°55’38”S, 31°09’31”E, 11–16.v.2019 LepiLED Light Trap, Dérozier, V., László, G., Miles, W. leg. ANHRT GoogleMaps : 2019.12; 5 males, 1 female, Danger Hill , 30 km N of Mpika, Muchinga Province, 1684m, 11°37’38”S, 31°33’56”E, 27– 30.iv.2019, Actinic Light Trap, Dérozier, V., László, G., Miles, W. leg. ANHRT GoogleMaps : 2019.12, gen. slide Nos : LG 6216 (male), LG 6218 (female) ; 1 male, Lumangwe Falls, Kalungwishi River , 1187m, 09°32’33”S, 29°23’17”E, 5–7.xi.2014 Light Trap leg. Smith, Takano & Oram; ANHRT GoogleMaps :2017.12; 1 male, Ntumbachushi Falls, Ngona River , Luapula Prov., 1166 m, 09°51’12”S, 28°56’41”E, 12–13.v.2013, Light Trap leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H. ( ANHRT) GoogleMaps . DRC. 1 female, Elisabethville (A la lumiére), 21.xi.1951, leg. Ch. Seydel ; 1 male, same site and collector, 15.iv.1951; 1 male, 1 female, Katanga, Kolwezi , i.1961, leg. V. Allard ; 1 male, Sankuru, Lusambo , 11.x.1950, leg. Dr. Fontaine ( RMCA) ; 2 males, Elisabethville , 12.v.1953, 23.iv.1953, leg. Ch. Seydel ( NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 13–18 mm in males and 19–22 mm in females. Neomardara divergens is readily distinguished from N. africana and N. fontainei by the absence of a continuous subterminal band which is present only between the forewing apex and the outer end of the triangular postmedial patch. This latter marking is almost entirely filled with whitish scales, only a tiny triangular dark notch is present at the lower half of the outer margin of the patch. The species is also easily distinguished from N. congolana by the presence of the wedge-shaped subventral patch which is absent in the latter taxon. Compared to the most similar N. mondika , N. divergens has more greyish-white forewing markings and hindwing ground colour in contrast to the rather creamy colouration and much narrower subcostal and subterminal bands of N. mondika . The characteristic triangular postmedial patch is slightly notched posteriorly in N. divergens , whereas it is entirely filled with creamy-white scales in its sister species.

In the male genitalia, N. divergens has a distally narrower, more elongate gnathos, a somewhat smaller, less rounded carinal plate situated more apically than in N. mondika , and in addition, the dorso-basal sclerotized plate is much smaller and less sclerotized in the former species than in its Congolese congener.

The female genitalia of N. divergens has a ca. 5–10% shorter ductus bursae and deeper sinus vaginalis than that of N. mondika .

Bionomics and distribution. Neomardara divergens is known to date from Zambia and the Katanga plateau of the DRC. The species has been sampled from March to June and October to December in Zambia suggesting its two main flying periods fall at the end and beginning of the rainy season. Amongst the sporadic records from Katanga, a couple collected in January were found, with further specimens examined from the DRC captured in April-May and October corresponding well with the Zambian records.