Nola biangulata submelanoscelis Hacker, 2012

László, Gyula M. & Vetina, Alvaro A., 2019, Contribution to the knowledge of the Nolini of the Maputo Special Reserve in South Mozambique with description of two new species and several taxonomic updates (Lepidoptera, Nolidae, Nolinae), Zootaxa 4571 (2), pp. 225-246 : 227

Nola biangulata submelanoscelis Hacker, 2012 stat. n.

( Figs 5 , 46 )

Nola (Nola) submelanoscelis Hacker, 2012 , Esperiana 17: 124. Type locality: RSA, Durban. Holotype male, in coll. ZSM.

Material examined: Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve. 1 ♂, 15m, Ponta Milibangalala, Dune Grassland , 26°26'58.6"S, 32°55'29.8"E, 25–30.V.2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., slide No.: LGNA 511 ♂ (coll. ANHRT).

Remark. The nominate taxon of Nola biangulata (Toulgoet, 1954) was described from Madagascar. Later, a closely related species was found in Tanzania which subsequently have been described as N. usambai Fibiger & Legrain, 2009 . In his revision Hacker downgraded the taxon as subspecies of N. biangulata , and at the same time described an other closely related species N. submelanoscelis from South Africa ( Hacker et al 2012). As all three taxa have nearly identical genitalia, distinguishing N. submelanoscelis on species rank is not justified, therefore it is downgraded here to subspecies rank. The distribution area of the southern African subspecies of biangulata is probably restricted to the lowland coastal bushveld-grassland of Southern Africa. N. biangulata submelanoscelis differs from the Tanzanian subspecies by its considerably darker, more brownish forewing ground colour and its considerably smaller size, as these features are also well expressed on the specimen collected in the Maputo Special Reserve. New country record for Mozambique.

Figures

FIGURES 1–16. Nola, Nolidia and Mecothrix spp.: adults (all in coll. ANHRT). 1, Nola socotrensis vansoni, ♂, Mozambique; 2, N. socotrensis vansoni, ♀, Mozambique; 3, N. melanoscelis, ♂, Mozambique; 4, N. melanoscelis, ♂, Mozambique; 5, N. biangulata submelanoscelis, ♂, Mozambique; 6, N. politzari, ♂, Mozambique; 7, N. politzari, ♀, Mozambique; 8, N. tineoides, ♂, Mozambique; 9, Nolidia transitoria, ♂, Mozambique; 10, N. transitoria, ♀, Mozambique; 11, Mecothrix aegyptiaca cana, ♂, Mozambique; 12, M. aegyptiaca cana, ♀, Mozambique; 13, M. mineti, ♂, Mozambique; 14, M. mineti, ♀, Mozambique; 15, M. maputuana László sp. n., holotype, ♂, Mozambique; 16, M. maputuana László sp. n., paratype, ♂, Mozambique.

FIGURES 44–52. Nola, Nolidia and Mecothrix spp.: male genitalia (all in coll. ANHRT). 44, Nola socotrensis vansoni, Mozambique, slide LGNA 327; 45, N. melanoscelis, Mozambique, slide LGNA 328; 46, N. biangulata submelanoscelis, Mozambique, slide LGNA 511; 47, N. politzari, Mozambique, slide LGNA 329; 48, N. tineoides, Mozambique, slide LGNA 375; 49, Nolidia transitoria, Mozambique, slide LGNA 444; 50, Mecothrix aegyptiaca cana, Mozambique, slide LGNA 322; 51, M. mineti, Mozambique, slide LGNA 298; 52, M. maputuana László sp. n., holotype, Mozambique, slide LGNA 302.