Maculonaclia florida (de Joannis, 1906) has been one of the most mysterious moths of Mauritius, a small volcanic island located some 900 km east from Madagascar. Here, we reviewed its generic placement, phylogenetic relationships and the potential evolutionary scenarios leading to the current distribution of this unique Mauritian member of Syntomini. The species, known previously only from a few old museum specimens, is redescribed based on newly collected material including both sexes and eggs. The generic affiliation to the Palaearctic Dysauxes is confirmed based on morphological and molecular data. A hypothesis is presented on the colonization of Mauritius by the ancestor of D. florida from Madagascar through the now submerged stepping stone islands of the Mascarene ridge. Behavioural data and environment preferences of D. florida are assessed for the first time. The species prefers shrubby vegetation with a humid understory, and presence of endemic shrub Ixora parviflora seems to play a role in selecting the suitable microhabitat. Additionally, based on IUCN criteria, a CR threat category is proposed, highlighting the major risk factors affecting the species. The significant variation in wing venation of D. florida is noted and provisionally correlated with environmental stress, which is the consequence of human-caused habitat degradation. Finally, the study provides further evidence for the significant role of Madagascar in the diversification of continental biota, indicating a Malagasy origin of the African syntomine Pseudonaclia puella.

中文翻译：

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独自在岛上：重新评估毛里求斯特有的一种神秘的女仆蛾（鳞翅目，Erebidae）

Maculonaclia florida (de Joannis, 1906) 一直是毛里求斯最神秘的飞蛾之一，毛里求斯是一个位于马达加斯加以东约 900 公里的小火山岛。在这里，我们回顾了它的一般位置、系统发育关系和导致 Syntomini 的这个独特的毛里求斯成员的当前分布的潜在进化场景。该物种以前仅从几个古老的博物馆标本中得知，现在根据新收集的材料（包括性别和卵）重新描述。根据形态学和分子数据确认了古北德氏病的一般隶属关系。D. florida的祖先对毛里求斯的殖民提出了一个假设从马达加斯加穿过现在被淹没的 Mascarene 山脊的垫脚石岛。首次评估D. florida 的行为数据和环境偏好。该物种更喜欢带有潮湿林下的灌木植被，地方性灌木Ixora parviflora 的存在似乎在选择合适的微生境方面发挥了作用。此外，根据 IUCN 标准，提出了 CR 威胁类别，突出了影响该物种的主要风险因素。D. florida翅脉的显着变异注意到并暂时与环境压力相关，这是人为造成的栖息地退化的结果。最后，该研究为马达加斯加在大陆生物群多样化中的重要作用提供了进一步的证据，表明非洲 Syntomine Pseudonaclia puella起源于马达加斯加。