Hampsonola elachistomorpha László & Vetina 2019, comb. n.
Creators: name: László, Gyula M.
name: Vetina, Alvaro A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nolidae
Hampsonola
Hampsonola elachistomorpha

description: Hampsonola elachistomorpha Hacker, 2012 comb. n.
(Figs 40, 41, 65, 82)
Nolidia elachistomorpha Hacker, 2012, Esperiana 17: 211. Type locality: Tanzania, Iringa, Udzungwa.
= Nolidia nanoxantha Hacker, 2012 syn. n.
= Nolidia polionana Hacker, 2012 syn. n.
Material examined: Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve. 1 ♂, 22m, West Gate, Sand Forest, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 30.V.–9.VI.2017, Actinic LT, Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., slide No.: LGNA 374 ♂; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, 17m, Futi Corridor (Sand Forest Woodland Mosaic) 26°32'10.1"S, 32°43'09.7"E, 23– 24.II.2018, Actinic Light Trap, Laszlo, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg., slide Nos: LGNA 440 ♂, LGNA 441 ♀; 1 ♀, 22m, West Gate, Sand Forest, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 21–22.II.2018, Actinic Light Trap, Laszlo, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg. (coll. ANHRT).
Taxonomic notes. Short series of both sexes were collected in the Maputo Special Reserve, providing invaluable morphological information in order to clarify the taxonomic position of the rather poorly known species. Genitalia dissections of both sexes made from the Mozambique specimens revealed that Nolidia nanoxantha Hacker, 2012 described from Tanzania, Usambara Mts, based on a single female specimen is conspecific with Nolidia elachistomorpha Hacker, 2012 in the same way as Nolidia polionana Hacker, 2012 is, which has been proved to be just a darker form of N. elachistomorpha. Regarding N. polionana it is also worth noting that the female paratype specimen figured in Hacker et al (2012) is obviously not conspecific with the male holotype, but belongs to Nola crinomorpha Hacker, 2012. Furthermore, the placement of elachistomorpha into the genus Nolidia is also incorrect, due to the fundamental differences found in the configuration of the male genitalia: Nolidia has very characteristic deeply cleft bilobate valvae, being similar to the general configuration of the valvae of the genus Nola, possessing well developed and strongly curved, acute harpe erected basally and short, weakly sclerotized uncus. The male genitalia of elachistomorpha, however, has a short, rounded ventral and an elongate costal lobe of valva without deep incision between the lobes and robust, curved harpe located rather distally and a well developed but weakly sclerotized uncus; in addition, a simple tubular aedeagus without carina and cornuti on vesica. This combination of features is characteristic for the genus Hampsonola László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2015, moreover, elachistomorpha is even externally similar to Hampsonola tarkabarka (László, Ronkay & Witt, 2010) described from Thailand. In elachistomorpha, however, there is a conspicuous stripe of androconial hair scales located in the medial section of the valva running along the margin of the ventral lobe of valva, which character is also known in several Hampsonola species e.g. H. mimetica (László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2014), H. csorbagabori (László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2014), H. geoffmartini (László, Ronkay & Witt, 2010) and H. sapatagka (László, Ronkay & Ronkay, 2014). The female genitalia of elachistomorpha shares also the common characters with Hampsonola by having rather wide but weakly sclerotized ostium bursae, membraneous ductus bursae and a pair of well developed, thornlike signum bursae. All in all, it can be declared that the species elachistomorpha is a member of the genus Hampsonola, representing the first Afrotropical taxon of the genus. New country record for Mozambique.
description: Published as part of 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), pp. 225-246 in Zootaxa 4571 (2) on page 241, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4571.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/2608276