Afroracotis (Afroracotis) violetteae, 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 : 27-28

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) violetteae sp. n.

( Figs 32–34 , 145–146 , 226–227 , 302 )

Holotype. Male , “ GUINEA, 625m, Guinée Forestière, Foret Classée de Ziama, Sérédou (Lowland Forest-Farmland), 08°21’26”N, 09°17’48”W, 9–16.vii.2019, LepiLED Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, S., Warner, R. Leg. ANHRT:2019.11”, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00149634, gen. slide No.: LG 5433 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Guinea. 5 males, Guinée Forestière, Bossou Forest and Institut de Recherche Environmentale de Bossou ( Lowland Forest-Farmland ), 690m, 07°38’32”N, 08°30’30”W, 24–30.vi.2019, 8W UV Cold Cathode and LepiLED Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Suah Dore, J., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, S., Warner, R. leg., ANHRT :2019.11, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00149807-00149809, 00166003, 00166004, gen. slide Nos: LG 5424, LG 5428, LG 5442; 2 males, Geipa Camp, Foret de Diecke , 435m, 7°26’7.06”N, 8°50’47.87”W, 05–14.iv.2019, Light Trap Blended Bulb (250W), Sáfián, Sz., Koivogui, S, leg., ANHRT :2019.7, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00106215, 00106231 ( ANHRT). 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 4408 ; 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 4422, LG 4425, DNA barcode/BOLD process ids: BC ZSM Lep 96353/ GWOTT302-17, BC ZSM Lep 97359/GWOTU548-17 ( ZSM) . Ivory Coast. 1 male, Bingerville , 1–4.viii.1915, leg. G. Melou, gen. slide No.: NHMUK010314256 ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Mt Tonkoui Peak , 1171 m, 07°27’15.2”N, 07°38’12.5”W, 1–8.xi.2015, Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P. & Ruzzier, E., unique id.: ANHRTUK 00073425, gen. slide No.: LG 4077, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109627/GWOUE416-20 ; 1 male, same site, 19–27.xi.2019, Actinic Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S., ANHRT :2019.23, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00182161 (dissected); 1 female, Tai NP, Tai Research Station , 174m, 05°49’59.8”N, 07°20’32.0”W, 14–23.xi.2015, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. leg., unique id.: ANHRTUK 00073426, gen. slide No.: LG 4168 ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, Yapo Sud , 22 km SSE Agboville, 12– 18.iv.1969, C. Herbulot leg., gen. slide No.: LG 5071 ( ZSM) . Liberia. 17 males, 1 female, 1000–1100m, Nimba county, Nimba Mts., ENNR, Cellcom Road , 7°32’45.88”N, 8°31’21.04”W, 16–28.xii.2018 Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg. ANHRT : 2018.43, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00060358–00060363, 00060366, 00060368–00060371, 00060374–00060376, 00060380, 00060381, 00060383, 00060384, gen. slide Nos: LG 4976, LG 4996, LG 4997, LG 4999 (males), LG 4977 (female), DNA barcode/BOLD process ids: BC ZSM Lep 109620/GWOUE409-20, BC ZSM Lep 109618/GWOUE407-20 ; 10 males, 1 female, Nimba county, Nimba Mts., ENNR, Cellcom Road , 750m, 7°33’3.78”N, 8°31’46.49”W, 16–28.xii.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00060339-00060342, 00060345, 00060347, 00060349–00060352, 00101282, gen. slide Nos: LG 5003, LG 5008; 1 male, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Rosewood Camp , 585m, 8°06’14.9”N, 9°58’27.3”W, 18.xi.–1.xii.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00060426; 1 male, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Elephant Ridge , 1002m, 8°07’1.46”N, 9°55’24.18”W, 23–26.xi.2018, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT :2018.43, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00060425; 1 male, 1 female, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Ridge Camp 2, 883m, 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 ids: ANHRTUK 00060387, 00060393, gen. slide No. : LG 4968 (male), DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00060387/ANLMN3660-21 ( ANHRT) . Sierra Leone. 1 female, Gola North Laleun , 11.v.2006, leg. C. Belcastro, gen. slide No.: LG 5075 ( ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 22.5–25 mm. Afroracotis violetteae sp. n. is hardly distinguishable externally from A. angulosa and A. stadiei , the only feature that may tell the new species apart from its congeners being its slighlty more rounded forewing apex. This feature however, renders A. violetteae confusingly similar to smaller individuals of A. squalida , however the latter species have a noticeably more elongate forewing, a more evenly rounded hindwing and more contrasting markings on the underside of the wings. Compared to the sympatric A. fiebigi sp. n., A. violetteae is somewhat larger in size and paler in colour. Only the examination of the genitalia provides reliable distinction from the aforementioned species based on the following characters: in the male genitalia, the new species differs from all other members of the A. angulosa species-group by the configuration of the vesica which is largely inflated basally and medially forming a large sack-like chamber without a medial cornuti field; additionally, the cornutus is most curved subbasally and medially and the narrowest distally in the species-group. The female genitalia of the new species are also clearly distinguished from those of its congeners by the smaller, least sclerotised cervix bursae forming a moderately swollen bulge between the ductus and corpus bursae.

Genetic information. Afroracotis violetteae has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:ADR6500, BIN-sharing with A. angulosa at a pairwise distance of 0.00–0.77%. The new species is genetically homogeneous with 0.00% intraspecific variability. Despite the high genetic similarity with A. angulosa , the marked constant differences in the genital morphology and the allopatric distribution of the two species justify the separation of A. violetteae at species rank.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Violette Dérozier (ANHRT), keen odonatologist, ornithologist and conservation biologist, one of the collectors of the new species.

Distribution ( Map 2 ). Afroracotis violetteae is a West African allopatric sibling of A. angulosa recorded to date from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Figures

MAP 2. Distribution of the Afroracotis (Afroracotis) angulosa species-group.

FIGURES 21–40. Adults, dorsal view. 21. Afroracotis aliena sp. n., HT, ♀, Tanzania (ANHRT); 22. A. angulosa, HT of Racotis angulosa, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 23. Ibidem, ♁, Ethiopia (RCDS); 24. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 25. Ibidem, ♁, Kenya (RCHS); 26. Ibidem, ♀, Kenya (RCHS); 27. A. canui, HT of Racotis canui, ♁, São Tomé (ZSM); 28. Ibidem, ♁, Principé (ZSM); 29. A. stadiei sp. n., HT, ♁, Tanzania (ZSM); 30. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Tanzania (ZSM); 31. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Rwanda (ZSM); 32. A. violetteae sp. n., HT, ♁, Guinea (ANHRT); 33. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Guinea (ANHRT); 34. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia (ANHRT); 35. A. fiebigi sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 36. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 37. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Ethiopia (RCDS); 38. A. albitrigonis, HT of Cleora albitrigonis, ST, ♁, São Tomé (NHMUK); 39. Ibidem, ♁, São Tomé (ANHRT); 40. Ibidem, ♀, São Tomé (ANHRT).

FIGURES 131–150. Adults, ventral view. 131. Afroracotis squalida squalida, ♁, Cameroon (ANHRT); 132. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (ANHRT); 133. A. s. voeltzkowii, ♁, Comoros (ZSM); 134. Ibidem, ♀, Madagascar (NHMUK); 135. A. s. thomensis ssp. n., HT, ♁, São Tomé (ANHRT); 136. Ibidem, PT, ♀, São Tomé (ANHRT); 137. A. incompletaria incompletaria, ♀, Réunion (ZSM); 138. A. i. atrilunaria, HT of Boarmia atrilunaria, ♀, Mauritius (NHMUK); 139. A. aliena sp. n., HT, ♀, Tanzania (ANHRT); 140. A. angulosa, HT of Racotis angulosa, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 141. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 142. A. canui, HT of Racotis canui, ♁, São Tomé (ZSM); 143. Ibidem, ♁, Princípe (ZSM); 144. A. stadiei sp. n., PT, ♀, Tanzania (ZSM); 145. A. violetteae sp. n., HT, ♁, Guinea (ANHRT); 146. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia (ANHRT); 147. A. fiebigi sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 148. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Ethiopia (RCDS); 149. A. albitrigonis, ♁, São Tomé (ANHRT); 150. Ibidem, ♀, São Tomé (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 298–305. Female genitalia. 298. Afroracotis angulosa, Cameroon, slide No.: ZSM G 20982 (ZSM); 299. Ibidem, Kenya, slide No.: LG 5558 (RCHS); 300. A. stadiei sp. n., PT, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 4760 (ZSM); 301. Ibidem, PT, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 5050 (ZSM); 302. A. violetteae sp. n., PT, Liberia, slide No.: LG 4977 (ANHRT); 303. A. fiebigi sp. n., PT, Liberia, slide No.: LG 4985 (ANHRT); 304. Ibidem, PT, Uganda, slide No.: LG 4107 (NHMUK); 305. A. albitrigonis, São Tomé, slide No.: LG 4446 (ANHRT).