Afroracotis (Afroracotis) canui ( Herbulot, 1991 ) 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 : 25-26

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) canui ( Herbulot, 1991) comb. nov.

( Figs 27–28 , 142–143 , 223 )

Racotis canui Herbulot, 1991 , Bulletin de la Société entomologique de Mulhouse 1991: 16. Holotype male (ZSM). Type locality: São Tomé Island.

Type material examined

Holotype, male, “ Ile de Sao Tomé, X-1989 (Dr. J.G. Canu)”, gen. slide No.: HERB 6619 ( ZSM).

Additional material examined

Príncipe. 1 male, 170m, Barracao , Terreiro Velho. 1°36’N, 7°25’E, vi.2018, leg. D. Lima, ANHRT :2018.41, gen. slide No.: LG 5791; 1 male, 220m, Terreiro Velho. 1°37’N, 7°25’E, vii.2018, leg. D. Lima, ANHRT :2018.41 ( ANHRT); 3 males, Terreiro Velho 28–31.XII.1993, leg. J. Wojtusiak, gen. slide Nos: LG 5037 ( ZSM G 20987 ), LG 5396, LG 5397, DNA barcode id.: BC ZSM Lep add 57921 ( ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 21–23 mm. Afroracotis canui is an allopatric insular sister species of A. angulosa endemic to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. Externally, it is undistinguishable from the other members of the A. angulosa species-group. In the male genitalia, compared to A. angulosa , A. canui has a considerably longer distal cornutus of the vesica which is curved subbasally and straight distally with a very slightly curved subapical section, while the cornutus of A. angulosa is evenly curved along its entire length. The configuration of the distal cornutus of A. canui is also highly reminiscent of its East African sibling A. stadiei sp. n., however, it is much narrower at base and curved only in its basal third with a noticeably longer straight distal section in the former taxon compared to the longer arcuate basal and shorter straight distal sections of the cornutus of A. stadiei .

The female is unknown.

Taxonomic note. The dissection of the female specimens from Príncipe in the Herbulot collection identified as Racotis canui revealed their true identity as A. lydiae sp. n.

Genetic information. The species could not be DNA barcoded due to the age of the specimens accessed during this study.

Distribution ( Map 2 ). The species is endemic to Saõ Tomé and Príncipe.

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 217–224. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 217. Afroracotis squalida thomensis ssp. n., HT, São Tomé, slide No. LG 4931 (ANHRT); 218. A. angulosa, HT, Cameroon, slide No. LG 4612 (ZSM); 219. Ibidem, DRC, slide No. LG 4091 (NHMUK); 220. Ibidem,Ethiopia, slide No. DS 222-2019 (RCDS); 221. Ibidem, Uganda, slide No. DS 227-2019 (RCDS); 222. Ibidem, Kenya, slide No. LG 5552 (RCHS); 223. A. canui, Princípe, slide No. LG 5037 (ZSM); 224. A. stadiei sp. n., HT, Tanzania, slide No. LG 4763 (ZSM).