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

description: Meganola shangaana László sp. n.
(Figs 38, 39, 63, 64)
Holotype. ♂, „ Mozambique, 15m, Maputo Special Reserve, nr Swamp Forest, Sand Thicket, 26°27'59"S, 32°54'16"E, 28.V.2017, Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT: 2017.26”, ANHRTUK 0 0 0 13213, slide No.: LGNA 386 ♂ (coll. ANHRT).
Paratypes. 1♂, with the same data as the holotype, ANHRTUK 0 0 0 13219, slide No.: LGNA 385 ♂; 1 ♂, 22m, West Gate, Sand Forest, 26°30'14.2"S, 32°42'59.6"E, 30.V.–9. VI.2017, Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Laszlo, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT: 2017.26, ANHRTUK 00013212; 1 ♂, same site, but collected at 21–22.II.2018, MV Light Trap, Laszlo, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT: 2018.2, ANHRTUK 0 0 0 27692, slide No.: LGNA 516 ♂ (coll. ANHRT).
Diagnosis. M. shangaana sp.n. represents a unique lineage within Meganola with no closer relatives considering the configuration of its male genitalia, namely the characteristic, bifid harpe and long, pin-like, backcurved carinal process of aedeagus, the combination of these characters is completely unknown in the entire genus. There are only two Meganola species (M. meloui Hacker, 2012 and M. heteroscota Toulgoet, 1954) having slightly similar bifid harpe but with much shorter processi and aedeagus with somewhat elongate but much shorter, rather finger-like carinal process. Both species are known from Madagascar only, and their external appearance and type of wing pattern are largely different in nearly every aspects compared to those of M. shangaana. In habitus the new species is somewhat similar to certain Meganola species such as M. spermophaga (Fletcher, 1962), M. pyrrhomorpha Hacker, 2012, and M. ethiopica Hacker, 2012, due to their narrow, elongate dark medio-costal patch of forewing being often fused with the orbicular stigma and the oblique, slightly arcuate interrupted postmedial line, but the forewing ground colour of M. shangaana is more reddish brown while that of the other similar species is much paler, ochreous grey; in addition, the wingpattern of the new species is more sharply defined compared to that of the above mentioned species. In spite of the superficial similarity to these species, M. shangaana has a large, bifid harpe with a pair of finger like processi where the proximal one is shorter and straight, the distal one is conspicuously long and slightly curved, with its tip reaching the costal margin of valva; such configuration of harpe is not known in any other Meganola species. The other unique character of the new species can be found in the configuration of its aedeagus, which bears a back-curved, long, pin-like carinal process, a character being also unknown in any other Meganola species.
Description. Adult (Figs 38, 39). Forewing length 6–7 mm. Male antennae bipectinate, rami rather long. Head relatively large, palpi well developed, their length as width of head, straight, medially strongly dilated, inner and dorsal surface creamy white, lateral surface blackish brown; frons and vertex pale brownish white; compound eyes moderately large, globular. Thorax and abdomen creamy white, suffused densely with pale brownish scales. Intraspecific variability low, all known specimens show rather similar coloration and wingpattern without significant alteration. Forewing short, moderately broad, rather triangular, apically rounded; forewing ground colour creamy white with some brownish suffusion. Subbasal and basal lines diffuse, shadow-like, represented by pale ochreous brown groups of hairscales; antemedial line very fine, dark brownish, interrupted, right angled in its costal third towards costal margin, fused with an elongate dark brown costal patch; medial line diffuse, poorly visible, pale brownish. Orbicular stigma very small, rounded, consisted of raised, shining grey scales, fused with costal patch. Postmedial line relatively thick, dark brown, oblique, interrupted, slightly wavy, blackish and conspicuously dilated in its ventral quarter. Subterminal line very diffuse, interrupted, consisted of three pale brownish patches; terminal line deleted; cilia chequered with pale brownish grey and darker brown sections. Hindwing creamy whitish with fine pale brown suffusion in its terminal third; cilia pale greyish white. Underside of forewing pale grey in costal two-third, greyish white in ventral one-third, that of hindwing more or less unicolourously creamy white, without traces of any pattern.
Male genitalia (Figs 63, 64). Uncus long, moderately broad at base, gradually tapering in its distal half, apically pointed; scaphium short, thin, weakly sclerotized; tegumen medium long and broad; juxta very short and medium broad, distally concave with two short and narrow, apically rounded lateral arms; vinculum relatively short, broad at base, V-shaped; valva elongated, rather narrow, slightly arched with more or less parallel distal and proximal margins, apically broadly rounded. Sacculus short, broad at base, without processi. Harpe bifid, erected medio-ventrally, finger-like with apically rounded processi pointing distally, proximal process half as long as distal one. Aedeagus medium long, relatively narrow, tubular, with a well-developed sclerotized, basally broad, medially tapered and recurved, long, pin-like carinal process; caecum rather short and narrow, apically rounded; vesica without cornuti.
Female unknown.
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 237-241, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4571.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/2608276