Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) apodosima ( Prout, 1931 ) 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 : 33-35

Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) apodosima ( Prout, 1931) comb. n.

( Figs 41–44 , 151–152 , 232–234 , 306–307 )

Racotis apodosima Prout, 1931 , Novitates zoologicae 36 (2): 171. Holotype male (NHMUK). Type locality: Delagoa Bay [ Mozambique].

Type material examined

Holotype, male, red ring label “Type” / „Delagoa Bay Mrs. Monteiro” / [with handwritten] „ Racotis apodosima ♁ Prout type”, gen. slide No.: Geometridae 5003 ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined

Burundi. 1 female, Urundi, Kitega [Gitega], 3.viii.1962, leg. Dr.M. Fontaine ( RMCA) . DRC. 1 male, Prov.Orientale, Opala , Lomami R., March 1959, R.H. Carcasson, gen. slide No.: NHMUK010314261 ( NHMUK) . Gabon. 1 male, Belinga , 1000m, N. Crete Sud, 19.iii.1963, G. Bernardi leg., gen. slide No.: LG 4770 ( ZSM) . Kenya. 1 female, Isiolo, 2–15.iii.1969, Watulege ; 2 females, Nairobi , Oct. 1967 ( ZSM) . Mozambique. 1 male, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate, Sand Forest , 22m, 26°30’14.2”S, 32°42’59.6”E, 13–15.ii.2018, MV Light Trap, László, G., Mulvaney, J., Smith, L. leg., ANHRT :2018.2, gen. slide No.: LG 4827; 1 female, same site and collectors, but 24.ii.2018, gen. slide No.: LG 4826; long series of undissected males from Maputo Special Reserve . RSA. 1 male, Kwazulu-Natal, Maputoland, Sodwana Bay , dune forest, 20m, 27°33’S, 32°40’E, 25.iv.1999, leg. M. Boppre & O. Fischer, gen. slide No.: LG 4786, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 38566/GWOSH230-10 ; 1 male, Natal, Umzumba Conservancy Armadale Farm , 30.39°S – 30.31°E, 80m, 17–21.xii.1993, Forest / Grassland, H.S. Staude ; 1 male, KwaZulu-Natal, 15 km NE Pietermaritzburg , 29.51°S, 30.519°E, 660m, leg. Hausmann, A. & Staude, H., DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 111484/GWOUF1228-20 ( ZSM) ; 1 female, Transkei, Cape Colony , leg. Miss Barrett ( NHMUK) . Rwanda. 1 male, South Western, Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Uwinka , 02°28’44”S, 29°12’09”E, 2450m, 20–23.vi.2009, H.S. Staude leg., gen. slide No.: LG 4421, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 36207/GWOSC531-10 ( ZSM) . Tanzania. 1 male, Kagera Region, Minziro Forest, Kabare , 01°01.792’S, 031°34.446’E, 1156m, 9.v.2011, Ph. Darge leg., gen. slide No.: LG 4403 ; 1 female, Dar-es-Salaam Region, Pugu Forest , iv.2004, local collector (ex coll. Ph. Darge), gen. slide No.: LG 4767 ; 1 male, Amani , 1000m, 17–18.iv.1976, B. Turlin leg., gen. slide No.: LG 4772 ( ZSM) . Zambia. 1 male, Greystone, Kitwe , Copperbelt Province, 1179m, S12°55’50”, E28°14’29” 17–21.iv.2013, Light Trap, leg. Smith, Takano & Oram, gen. slide No.: LG 4065; 1 male, Hillwood, Ikelenge, 1400m, S11°16’02”, E24°18’59’, 30.iv.–11.v.2014, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R., Takano, H., Chmurova, L. & Smith, L., gen. slide No.: LG 4066 ; 2 males, Zambia, 1147m, Lukwakwa, West Lunga NP, (Crytosepalum forest / Dambo ), S12°39’40”, E24°26’13”, 9–15.xi.2018, MV, Actinic and LepiLED Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., László, G., Oram, D. leg., ANHRT:2018.40, gen. slide Nos : LG 4930, LG 5009, LG 5014, LG 5015; long series of undissected males from the same locality ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 17.5–22.0 mm. Afroracotis apodosima is an unmistakeable species due to its light mossy-green colouration in contrast to the darker, brownish-greyish or pale ochreous-brown facies of the majority of other Afroracotis taxa. There are two further allopatric species having similarly pale mossy-green ground colour: A. deportata ( Herbulot, 1970) endemic to Madagascar and A. dargei sp. n. confined to the High Plateau of Cameroon. Compared to A. deportata , A. apodosima has a somewhat paler, less bright green ground colour, especially when freshly hatched specimens are compared. In the male genitalia, A. apodosima is easily distinguished from A. deportata by the markedly narrower uncus and shorter vinculum, the thicker and shorter aedeagus and the substantially smaller, weakly sclerotised cornutus. In the female genitalia, A. apodosima has considerably shorter apophysis anterioris and markedly less sclerotised cervix bursae compared to those of A. deportata . The distinctive features between A. apodosima and A. dargei sp. n. are discussed below under the diagnosis of the latter species.

Genetic information. Afroracotis apodosima is assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AAL6740. The intraspecific divergence of the species is 0.00–0.15%. The nearest neighbour of the species is A. dargei sp. n. with a pairwise distance in the range of 2.48–2.95%. These two allopatric siblings form a distinct lineage, sister of A. argillacea .

Distribution ( Map 3 ). Afroracotis apodosima is a widespread species with predominantly south-eastern and eastern African records. Its westernmost occurrence was recorded in north-east Gabon. The species is reported here from Burundi, DRC, Gabon, Rwanda, and Zambia for the first time. Prout’s (1931) record from Madagascar is based on the misidentification of the then unknown A. deportata ( Herbulot, 1970) .

Figures

MAP 3. Distribution of the Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) apodosima and A. (H.) deportata species-groups and the subgenera Rwandaracotis and Sokokeracotis.

FIGURES 41–60. Adults, dorsal view. 41. Afroracotis apodosima, HT of Racotis apodosima, ♁, Mozambique (NHMUK); 42. Ibidem, ♁, Tanzania (ZSM); 43. Ibidem, ♁, Zambia (ANHRT); 44. Ibidem, ♀, Mozambique (ANHRT); 45. A. dargei sp. n., HT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 46. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 47. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 48. A. deportata, ♁, Madagascar (RCHS); 49. Ibidem, HT of Racotis deportata, ♁, Madagascar (MNHN); 50. Ibidem, ♀, Comoros (NHMUK); 51. A. argillacea argillacea, HT of Alcis argillacea, ♁, DRC (NHMUK); 52. Ibidem, ♁, DRC (NHMUK); 53. Ibidem, ♁, DRC (ZSM); 54. Ibidem, ♁, Cameroon (RCMO); 55. A. argillacea cedrici, HT of Racotis cedrici, ♀, Bioko (ZSM); 56. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Bioko (ZSM); 57. Ibidem, ♀, Bioko (RCTK); 58. A. argillacea morettoi ssp. n., HT, ♁, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 59. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 60. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Ivory Coast (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 225–232. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 225. Afroracotis stadiei sp. n., PT, Rwanda, slide No. LG 4789 (ZSM); 226. A. violetteae sp. n., HT, Guinea, slide No. LG 5433 (ANHRT); 227. Ibidem, PT, Liberia, slide No. LG 4999 (ANHRT); 228. A. fiebigi sp. n., HT, Liberia, slide No. LG 5000 (ANHRT); 229. Ibidem, PT, Cameroon, slide No. LG 5070 (ZSM); 230. Ibidem, PT, Uganda, slide No. LG 4106 (NHMUK); 231. A. albitrigonis, São Tomé, slide No. LG 4800 (ANHRT); 232. A. apodosima, Mozambique, slide No. LG 4827 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 233–238. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus.; 233. Afroracotis apodosima, Zambia, slide No. LG 4930 (ANHRT); 234. Ibidem, Gabon, slide No. LG 4770 (ZSM); 235. A. dargei sp. n., HT, Cameroon, slide No. LG 4615 (ZSM); 236. Ibidem, PT, Cameroon, slide No. LG 5041 (ZSM); 237. A. deportata, Madagascar, slide No. LG 4067 (ANHRT); 238. A. argillacea argillacea, DRC, slide No. NHMUK 010315180 (NHMUK).

FIGURES 306–313. Female genitalia. 306. Afroracotis apodosima, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 4767 (ZSM); 307. Ibidem, Mozambique, slide No.: LG 4826 (ANHRT); 308. A. dargei sp. n., PT, Cameroon, slide No.: LG 4771 (ZSM); 309. A. deportata, Madagascar, slide No.: LG 4082 (ANHRT); 310. A. argillacea cedrici, PT, Bioko, slide No.: HERB 7255 (ZSM); 311. A. a. morettoi ssp. n., PT, Ivory Coast, slide No.: LG 5417 (ANHRT); 312. A. longicornuta congolana ssp. n., PT, Cameroon, slide No.: LG 5044 (ZSM); 313. A. l. ugandana ssp. n., PT, Uganda, gen. slide No.: LG 5531 (RCHS).