Revision of Saalmulleria Mabille, 1891 (Lepidoptera, Metarbelidae) from Madagascar with the description of three new genera and fifteen new species

Abstract

This is the first publication of any genus of Metarbelidae Strand, 1909 for Madagascar since 1891. Here, the genus Saalmulleria Mabille, 1891 is revised comprising three species including descriptions of two new species. Three new genera are presented: first, an African-Madagascan sister genus-group, namely Shimbaniagen. nov. and Morondavaniagen. nov. The genus Morondavania is monotypic and comprises one new species, while Shimbania comprises 13 species, of which 11 species are new to science. Lebedodes wichgrafi (Grünberg, 1910) and L. durbanica Hampson, 1910 are treated as valid species and are moved to the new genus Shimbania. Secondly, the monotypic Eberhardfischeriagen. nov. that shares one synapomorphy with Saalmulleria. The species S. dubiefi (Viette, 1974) is excluded from Saalmulleria, since it most probably represents another undescribed genus. Species of Shimbania occur along the eastern coast of the African mainland up to about 540 km inland from the Indian Ocean, with one record from the Atlantic Ocean coast in Nigeria (Central Africa). The other three genera are endemic to Madagascar.