Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) longicornuta, László & Hausmann & Karisch, 2023

László, Gyula M., Hausmann, Axel & Karisch, Timm, 2023, Integrative taxonomic revision of the African taxa of the Racotis Moore, 1887 generic complex (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae, Boarmiini), Zootaxa 5308 (1), pp. 1-109 : 41-43

Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) longicornuta sp. n.

( Figs 61–62 , 162–163 , 241–242 )

Holotype. Male, “ LIBERIA, 883m, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Ridge Camp 2, 8°07’20.79”N, 9°56’50.75”W, 22–30.xi.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT:2018.43, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00102036, gen. slide No.: LG 5064, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00102036/ ANLMN3667-21( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Guinea. 1 male, Ziama Forest , 600m, 8°31’17.58”N, 8°35’10.87”W, 23.x.2015, leg. V. Kravchenko, gen. slide No.: LG 4402 ; 2 males, Nzerekore, Lola Protecture, Ziela Forest , 550m, 17.xi.–1.xii.2013, 7.719°N, 8.360°W, leg. local coll., gen. slide Nos: LG 4424, LG 4751, DNA barcode/BOLD process ids: BC ZSM Lep 96386/ GWOTT335-17, BC ZSM Lep 96387/GWOTT336-17 ( ZSM) . Liberia. 1 male, Nimba County, Nimba Mts, ENNR, Cellcom Road , 750m, 7°33’3.78”N, 8°31’46.9”W, 16–28.xii.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, unique id.: ANHRTUK00183895 ( ANHRT). Sierra Leone. 1 male, N. Province, Loma Mts Forest Res., W slopes Mt Bintumani , ca. 5 miles E Konbaia, 9°8’15.77”N, 11°11’7.05”W, 470m, 11.v.2013, leg. S. Naumann & P. & B. Malec ( ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 19–20 mm. Afroracotis longicornuta sp. n. is easily distinguished from its sympatric sister species A. argillacea by its somewhat darker colouration, the substantially broader medial and postmedial fasciae of the forewing often fused at the ventral margin forming an oblique V-shape ( A. argillacea has its postmedial fascia deleted in the ventral half), as well as the more sharply defined discal spot of the hindwing. In the male genitalia, the clasping apparatuses of the two species do not show noticeable differences; the aedeagus of the new species is somewhat narrower, distally more tapered, the vesica is somewhat shorter, not rugose but longitudinally striate bearing a single cornutus which is substantially longer and narrower, sword-shaped, its length may exceed the length of the entire vesica.

In the female genitalia, A. longicornuta has somewhat shorter apophyses, a slightly longer, saucer-shaped antrum (it is rather plate-like in A. argillacea ), a shorter ductus bursae and a substantially different configuration of the cervix-corpus bursae complex. The cervix bursae is fully integrated into the bursa copulatrix, the posterior half and the whole left side of which is heavily sclerotised and longitudinally striate posteriorly, leaving only a small, triangular medio-lateral membranous protuberation on the opposite side of the corpus bursae. In A. argillacea the heavily sclerotised and rugose cervix bursae covers the posterior two-thirds of the bursa copulatrix, leaving its anterior third membranous.

The morphological differences between the three subspecies of A. longicornuta are discussed under the diagnoses of each subspecies.

Genetic information. This species belongs to the BIN URI: BOLD:ADH7113. The intraspecific divergence is 0.15–0.61%. The nearest neighbour of the species is its Central African subspecies A. longicornuta congolana ssp. n. diverging by 1.70–2.49%. The Ugandan populations of the species also display significant genetic divergences from the West African nominotypical subspecies differing by a pairwise distance of 1.90–2.39% and it is described below as A. longicornuta ugandana ssp. n. Compared to other members of the species-complex, the pairwise distances between A. longicornuta and A. argillacea and A. aristophanousi sp. n. are in the range of 6.69–8.08% and 5.39–6.9%, respectively.

Etymology. The species name refers to the remarkably robust cornutus of the vesica of the new species.

Distribution ( Map 4 ). The species has a relatively wide distribution with genetically markedly divergent western, central and eastern African populations. The nominate subspecies refers to the West African populations which are isolated from the genetically diverging Central African populations presumably by the Dahomey Gap and the latter is described below as a distinct subspecies: A. longicornuta congolana ssp. n. . The easternmost population of the species recorded from Uganda forms another genetically diverging unit isolated from the central African populations supposedly by the Albertine Rift and is described below as A. longicornuta ugandana ssp. n. .

Figures

MAP 4. Distribution of the Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) argillacea species-group.

FIGURES 61–80. Adults, dorsal view. 61. Afroracotis longicornuta sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 62. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Guinea (ANHRT); 63. A. l. congolana ssp. n., HT, ♁, Cameroon (RCMO); 64. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 65. Ibidem, PT, ♁, DRC (NHMUK); 66. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 67. A. l. ugandana ssp. n., HT, ♁, Uganda (RCHS); 68. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Uganda (RCHS); 69. A. aristophanousi sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 70. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 71. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Uganda (NHMUK); 72. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 73. A. muscivirens sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ZSM); 74. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Ivory Coast (ZSM); 75. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia (ANHRT); 76. A. turlini sp. n., HT, ♁, Rwanda (ZSM); 77. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Rwanda (ZSM); 78. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Rwanda (ZSM); 79. A. atriclava, ST of Cleora atriclava, ♁, Madagascar (NHMUK); 80. Ibidem, ♀, Madagascar (ZSM).

FIGURES 151–170. Adults, ventral view. 151. Afroracotis apodosima, ♁, Zambia (ANHRT); 152. Ibidem, ♀, Mozambique (ANHRT); 153. A. dargei sp. n., PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 154. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 155. A. deportata, ♁, Madagascar (RCHS); 156. Ibidem, ♀, Comoros (NHMUK); 157. A. argillacea argillacea, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 158. Ibidem, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 159. A. argillacea cedrici, HT of Racotis cedrici, ♀, Bioko (ZSM); 160. A. argillacea morettoi ssp. n., HT, ♁, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 161. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 162. A. longicornuta sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 163. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Guinea (ZSM); 164. A. l. congolana ssp. n., PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 165. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 166. A. l. ugandana ssp. n., PT, ♀, Uganda (RCHS); 167. A. aristophanousi sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 168. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 169. A. muscivirens sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ZSM); 170. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia (ANHRT).

FIGURES 239–244. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 239. Afroracotis argillacea argillacea, Cameroon, slide No. LG 4405 (ZSM); 240. A. a. morettoi ssp. n., HT, Ivory Coast, slide No. LG 5416 (ANHRT); 241. A. longicornuta longicornuta sp. n., HT, Liberia, slide No. LG 5064 (ANHRT); 242. Ibidem, Guinea, slide No. LG 4424 (ZSM); 243. A. l. congolana ssp. n., HT Cameroon, slide No. LG 4088 (RCMO); 244. Ibidem, PT, Cameroon, slide No. LG 5043 (ZSM).