Effect of textile colour on vector mosquito host selection: a simulated field study in Mali, West Africa.

BACKGROUND: The effect of clothing colour on the biting rates of different vector mosquito species is not well understood. Studies under tropical field conditions are lacking. This study aimed to determine the influence of clothing colours on mosquito biting rates in rural and suburban settings in West Africa. METHODS: We performed a simulated field study in a suburban and a rural site in Mali using Mosquito-Magnet traps utilizing CO2 and other attractants, which were covered with black, white, and black/white striped textile sheets covers. These targets operated continuously for 10 consecutive days with bright nights (around full moon) and 10 consecutive days with dark nights (around new moon). Trapped mosquitoes were collected and catch rates counted hourly. Mosquitoes were morphologically identified to the species complex level (Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Culex pipiens s.l.) or species level (Aedes aegypti). A subset of Anopheles specimens were further identified by molecular methods. RESULTS: Under bright-night conditions, An. gambiae s.l. was significantly more attracted to black targets than to white and striped targets; during dark nights, no target preference was noted. During bright nights, Cx. pipiens s.l. was significantly more attracted to black and striped targets than to white targets; a similar trend was noted during dark nights (not significant). For day-active Ae. aegypti, striped targets were more attractive than the other targets and black were more attractive than white targets. CONCLUSIONS: The study firstly demonstrated that under field conditions in Mali, West Africa, mosquito catch rates were influenced by different clothing colours, depending on mosquito species and light conditions. Overall, light colours were least attractive to host-seeking mosquitoes. Using white or other light-coloured clothing can potentially reduce bite exposure and risk of disease transmission in endemic tropical regions.

Description of two new species of Dinometa from East Africa with remarks on D. maputuana (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae, Lasiocampinae).

The genus Dinometa Aurivillius, 1927 (type species Gastroplakaeis maputuana Wichgraf, 1906) is reviewed, with two new species described: Dinometa ethani sp. n. from Tanzania and Dinometa abigailae sp. n. from Kenya and Tanzania. All Dinometa species showed no significant differences in male genitalia, but D. ethani sp. n. and D. abigailae sp. n. are allopatric with D. maputuana. D. abigailae sp. n. has specific reddish spots on hindwings that distinguishes it from closely distributed D. ethani sp. n. Two D. maputuana specimens collected at the same night and locality in the Republic of South Africa have an intraspecific variation of 1.52% in cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, while all barcoded D. maputuana are 2.432.74% distant from D. ethani sp. n. Adults, male genitalia and distribution maps of all three species are illustrated.

Notes on Central Asian Furcula with description of a new species.

Genitalia of the female holotype of the Central Asian species Furcula terminata (Wiltshire, 1958) (TL: northeastern Afghanistan) were studied for the first time. They showed a clear similarity with the genitalia of Furcula gorbunovi Schintlmeister, 1998 (TL: Gissar Range, Tajikistan) and Furcula mimonovi Schintlmeister, 1998 (TL: Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan). Males of F. terminata from Afghanistan were not found in the collections. However, the specimens from neighboring Tajikistan and topotypes of F. gorbunovi and F. mimonovi were studied and all of them have pointed apex of the costal process of valva specific for the bifida-group, not the furcula-group as suggested previously. Considering the morphological similarity and overlapping distribution areas of the three studied taxa, two new synonyms are established for F. terminata: F. gorbunovi syn. n. and Furcula mimonovi syn. n. The population of Tian Shan and Alay Range in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, previously regarded as F. terminata, are described here as a new species based on differences in the genitalia of both sexes.

New records of Lasiocampidae (Lepidoptera) from Zanzibar Island with taxonomic notes and description of one new species of Odontopacha Aurivillius, 1909.

Seven genera and seven species of Lasiocampidae are newly recorded from the Zanzibar Island (Unguja): Bombycopsis C. & R. Felder, 1874 with Bombycopsis nigrovittata Aurivillius, 1927; Pallastica Zolotuhin & Gurkovich, 2009 with an unidentified species; Dollmania Tams, 1930 with an unidentified species; Mallocampa Aurivillius, 1902 with Mallocampa leighi Aurivillius, 1922; Eucraera Tams, 1930 with Eucraera witti Prozorov, 2016; Philotherma Möschler, 1887 with Philotherma montibia Strand, 1912; and Odontopacha Aurivillius, 1909 with Odontopacha fenestrata Aurivillius, 1909. The species are followed with taxonomic notes updating the status and distribution of the taxa. Bombycopsis nigrovittata is shown to have the maximum p-distance of 0.3% in cytochrome c oxidase I from Bombycopsis pallida Joannou & Krüger, 2009. Two specimens of Pallastica sp. from Zanzibar are different in wing coloration but identical genetically, both are 0.8-1.2% far from sequenced specimens collected in southern Malawi and eastern Zimbabwe and altogether 3.0-3.8% far from the Zambian and Malawian populations considered to be Pallastica pallens (Bethune-Baker, 1908). The barcoding revealed two distinct lineages of Dollmania in Tanzania with a p-distance of 3.5-3.7% between them, neither can be attributed to either Dollmania marwitzi (Strand, 1913) or Dollmania reussi (Strand, 1913) until the primary types or fresh topotypes are sequenced. The species Ph. montibia is taken out from the synonymy to Philotherma rosa (Druce, 1887) and is stated to be a bona species because of the difference in wing pattern and p-distance of 5.7-5.9%. A new species of the genus Odontopacha - Odontopacha dargei sp. n. - is described from southern Kenya and northern Tanzania where it occurs sympatrically with O. fenestrata. It differs from O. fenestrata by the paler coloration with the spotted external fascia on both wings and a p-distance of 3.04-3.65%. Lectotypes for D. marwitzi and Ph. montibia are established. Mallocampa leighi is recorded from Tanzania for the first time. Females of Chrysopsyche lutulenta Tams, 1923 earlier recorded from Zanzibar Island are figured and the species is recorded from DRC for the first time.

A new genus of Afrotropical Lasiocampini: Revaya gen. n. (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae, Lasiocampinae).

A new genus Revaya gen. n. with Revaya yahya sp. n. (type-species) and Revaya edita sp. n. are described. A detailed diagnosis for the new genus is provided and compared with three closely related genera: Catalebeda Aurivillius, 1902; Ptyssophlebia Berio, 1937; and Oplometa, Aurivillius 1894. Male genitalia of Oplometa cassandra (Druce, 1887) and female genitalia of Ptyssophlebia discocellularis (Strand, 1912) are illustrated for the first time. Catalebeda producta, P. discocellularis and O. cassandra are recorded for the first time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Phragmacossia bozanoia new species from southern Greece with some notes on Phragmataecia and Phragmacossia (Lepidoptera, Cossidae, Zeuzerinae).

The taxonomic relationship between the genera Phragmataecia Newman, 1850 and Phragmacossia Schawerda, 1924 is considered. Diagnostic characters and distribution of the species Phragmataecia castaneae (Hbner, 1790), Phragmataecia albida (Erschoff, 1874), Phragmacossia ariana (Grum-Grshimailo, 1899), Phragmacossia territa (Staudinger, 1879), and Phragmacossia minos Reisser, 1963 are studied in detail. A new species, Phragmacossia bozanoi sp. n., is described from the Peloponnese Peninsula and the South Greek mainland.

Revision of the Lemonia taraxaci complex, with a description of a new species from Italy and clarification of the status of Lemonia strigata (Lepidoptera: Brahmaeidae: Lemoniinae).

The species Lemonia taraxaci (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1755) is divided into three species based on distribution areas and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) distances above 2%: Central European Lemonia taraxaci (type locality: Austria, Vienna area), Eastern European to South Siberian Lemonia sibirica Wnukowsky, 1934 stat. rev., bona sp. (type locality: Russia, Novosibirsk Oblast, Ozero-Karachi and Russia, Altai Krai, Kornilovo), and Italian Lemonia italiana sp. n. (type locality: Italy, Calabria centr., Sila grd., Casali del Manco, San Nicola Silano (CS)). Authorship of Lemonia strigata Antoshin & Zolotuhin, 2011 is reconsidered. The close relation between the typical L. strigata and taraxaci-like adults from the Balkans is proven genetically. According to this, L. strigata is suggested to be a junior synonym of taraxaci-looking Lemonia taraxaci var. montana Buresch, 1915 (type locality: Bulgaria, Rhodope Mts, Musala), although further DNA investigation is needed to prove this hypothesis.

A new species of Typhonoya Prozorov (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae, Lasiocampinae, Gastropachini) from the moist broadleaf forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The second species of the genus Typhonoya Prozorov 2011T. kravchenkoi Prozorov, Mller Zolotuhin sp. n. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is described. A previously monotypic genus becomes bitypic. One paratype specimen was collected in the buffer zone of the southern part of the Salonga National Park during a one year-long stationary expedition (June 2017June 2018). Spread imagoes, heads, legs, venations and genitalia of both species are figured and compared. Additional notes on the genus description and previously known species are added.