Nola socotrensis subsp. vansoni Hacker 2012
Creators: name: László, Gyula M.
name: Vetina, Alvaro A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nolidae
Nola
Nola socotrensis
Nola socotrensis vansoni hacker, 2012

description: Nola socotrensis vansoni Hacker, 2012
(Figs 1, 2, 44, 67)
Nola socotrensis vansoni Hacker, 2012, Esperiana 17: 111. Type locality: Ethiopia, Jinka. Holotype male, in coll. Hacker, ZSM. Material examined: Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve. 1 ♂, 3 ♀, 22m, West Gate, Sand Thicket, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 21–30.XI.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristovao, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide Nos: LGNA 324 ♂, LGNA 323 ♀, LGNA 325 ♀, LGNA 326 ♀; 1 ♂, 22m, West Gate, Sand Forest, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 3–13.XII.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristovao, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide No.: LGNA 327 ♂; 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 377 ♀; 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., slide No.: LGNA 445 ♂; 1 ♀, 22m, West Gate, Sand Thicket, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 24–25.ii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, Laszlo, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg., slide No.: LGNA 446 ♀ (coll. ANHRT).
Further long series of specimens of both sexes collected in various localities in the Maputo Special Reserve (coll. ANHRT and MHNM).
Remark. The species was described from Socotra island. Later it was found widespread in Subsaharan Africa and Hacker (Hacker et al 2012) described the mainland population as distinct subspecies based on some minor differences of the wingpattern compared to the nominate form. Nola socotrensi vansoni is one of the most common Nolini occuring in the Maputo Special Reserve.
Nola melanoscelis (Hampson, 1914)
(Figs 3, 4, 45)
Celama melanoscelis Hampson, 1914, Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum, Suppl. 1: 396, pl. 22, fig. 22. Type locality: [Ghana] Gold Coast, Bibianaha. Holotype male, in coll. NHMUK.
Material examined: Mozambique, Maputo Special Reserve. 1 ♂, 22m, West Gate, Sand Forest, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 3–13.XII.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristovao, J., Laszlo, G., Miles, W. leg., slide No.: LGNA 328 ♂; 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. (coll. ANHRT).
Remark. Nola melanoscelis was described from West Africa, but it occurs in most Subsaharan countries. Its occurrence in South Mozambique is rather surprising as N. submelanoscelis Hacker, 2012 which was considered to be a sibling sister species of N. melanoscelis is supposed to substitute N. melanoscelis in Southern Africa (Hacker et al. 2012). As both taxa have been collected in the Maputo Special Reserve (see next species) it can be declared that melanoscelis and submelanoscelis occur sympatrically in Maputaland and probably in KwaZulu-Natal as well. 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 pages 226-227, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4571.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/2608276