Afroracotis (Afroracotis) fiebigi, 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 : 28-29

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) fiebigi sp. n.

( Figs 35–37 , 147–148 , 228–230 , 303–304 )

Holotype. Male , „ Liberia, 750m, Nimba county, Nimba Mts., ENNR, Cellcom Road, 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 id.: ANHRTUK 00060338, gen. slide No.: LG 5000, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109615/ GWOUE404-20 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Burundi. 1 male, Urundi, Kitega [Gitega], 14.v.1967, leg. Dr. M. Fontaine, gen. slide No.: LG 5865 ( RMCA). Cameroon. 1 male, Bokwaongo, Mt. Cameroon (farmland-secondary forest), 950m, 04°09’14”N, 09°14’36”E, 3–6.iii.2018, MV Light Trap, Ishmael, K., Miles, W., Sáfián, Sz. leg., ANHRT:2018.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00099333, gen. slide No.: LG 5007 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, 1 female, Route Bouea — V.H.F. Alt. 900m, 25.X.1970, Ph. Darge leg., gen. slide No.: LG 5070 (male) ; 1 male, Mt Cameroon ( SW slope), Planty camp, 4.117500°N, 9.070944°E, 1100m asl, 30.i.2016 ( PC14 ), lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, S. Janecek, R. Tropek, gen. slide No.: LG 4741 ; 1 male, same site and collectors, 17.xii.2014, gen. slide No.: ZSM G 20980 (prepared by László) ; 1 male, Mt Cameroon ( SW slope), Drinking Gari camp, 4.101447°N, 9.061000°E, 650m asl, 18.xii.2014, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, S. Janecek, R. Tropek, gen. slide No.: ZSM G 20978 (prepared by László) ; 1 male, Mt Cameroon ( SW slope), Elephant camp, 4.145333°N, 9.087000°E, 1850m asl, 23.xi.2014, lgt. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, S. Janecek, R. Tropek, gen. slide No.: ZSM G 20979 (prepared by László) ( ZSM) ; 1 male, SW Province, between Burutu and Ehom , 244m, light trap, 4°46’51”N, 9°36’13.6”E, 3.xii.2008, leg. Michael Ochse, gen. slide No.: LG 5080, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 38703/GWOSH367-10 ( RCMO). DRC. 1 male, 9 days from Ft. Beni, C. F. St., 13.v.1899 (Ansorge), gen. slide No.: NHMUK010314258 ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Sankuru, Katako Kombe , 12.i.1953, leg. Dr. Fontaine, gen. slide No.: LG 5861 ; 1 male, Equateur, Bokuma , 5.x.1940, leg. Rév. P. Hulstaert, gen. slide No.: LG 5862 ; 1 female, Yangambi , 1933, leg. Van Laer, gen. slide No.: LG 5863 ; 1 female, Tshuapa, Bamanya , 3.vii.1963, leg. Rév. P. Hulstaert, gen. slide No.: LG 5870 ( RMCA). Equatorial Guinea, Bioko Island . 1 male, Moka S.C., 03°21’40”N, 08°39’44”E, 5 km radius, 1500m, equatorial montane rain forest, 24.i.–12.ii.2011, leg. S.C. Collins, gen. slide No.: LG 5548 ( RCHS). Ethiopia. 1 female, Region of Southern Nations, Sheiko Forest, Road Tepi to Mizan Teferi , 7°4’12.89”N, 35°26’511.27”E, 19.05.2015, 1300m, u. NN, LF, leg. D. Stadie and R. Fiebig, gen. slide No.: DS 225/2019 (prepared by László), DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 113005/GWOUH089-21 ( RCDS). Ivory Coast. 1 male, Mt Tonkoui Peak , 1171m, 07°27’15.2”N, 07°38’12.5”W, 19–27.xi.2019, LepiLED Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Dérozier V., Moretto, P., Outtara, S. leg., ANHRT:2019.23, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00183584, gen. slide No.: LG 5910 ( ANHRT). Kenya. 1 male, Kakamega District, Kakamega Forest Reserve, Rondo Retreat Centre , rainforest, N00°13’37.9”, E034°53’04.6”, 23–26.xi.2010, 1598m, UV, T. Gilligan & A. Mukiri colls, gen. slide No.: LG 5557, DNA barcode/ BOLD process id.: HS6142/ANLMN5059-21 ( RCHS). Liberia. 4 males, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Ridge Camp 2, 883m, 8°07’20.79”N, 9°56’50.75”W, 22–30.xi.2018, Blended Bulb (250W) and Cold Cathode UV (8W) Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg. ANHRT:2018.43, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00060391, 00060396, 00060397, 00060403, gen. slide Nos: LG 4967, LG 5001 ; 2 males, Nimba Mts., ENNR, Nimba county, Cellcom road, 1000– 1100m, 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 00060365, 00060378, gen. slide Nos : LG 4994, LG 4998, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109617/GWOUE406-20 ; 1 female, 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 00060420, gen. slide No. : LG 4985, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109624/GWOUE413-20 ( ANHRT). Uganda. 1 male, Entebbe , 05. E.A. Minchin, 1906–19, unique number: NHMUK 010402132 , gen. slide No.: LG 4106 ; 1 female, Unyoro, Bugoma Forest , 3,700 ft., 1.xii.1911, S.A. Neave, 1912–2014, QR code label with unique id.: NHMUK 010402133 , gen. slide No. : LG 4107 ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Entebbe, Kisubi, Ziika forest , 00°07’24.7”N, 32°31’32.5”E, 1159m, Lake Victoria moist forest, 26.xi.2005, leg. H.S. Staude, gen. slide No.: LG 5539 ( RCHS).

Diagnosis. Forewing length 19–22.5 mm. Afroracotis fiebigi sp. n. occurs sympatrically with all continental members of the A. angulosa species-group. Despite their confusingly similar wing pattern, the majority of the specimens of the new species may be distinguished by their smaller size and darker wing colouration compared to the other continental taxa of the group. The new species is characterized by the unique configuration of the vesica bearing a conspicuously extensive cornuti field consisting of very fine, hair-like cornuti situated between the subbasal and subapical part of the main vesica chamber dorsally, and by the stout, straight, acute beak-shaped distal cornutus which is the largest in the species-group. In the female genitalia, compared to its allies, A. fiebigi has a markedly different cervix bursae being fully merged with the corpus bursae, covering two-thirds of it, while the corpus bursae clearly distinguishes it from the other species of the group as it forms a swollen bulge between the ductus and corpus bursae.

Genetic information. The species has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:ADR6498. The intraspecific divergence is in the range of 0.00–0.94%. The nearest neighbour of A. fiebigi is A. angulosa at a pairwise distance of 1.32–1.99%, while it diverges from A. stadiei and A. violetteae by 1.63–2.16% and 1.79–2.01%, respectively.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Ralf Fiebig (Rossleben, Germany), renowned lepidopterist, active explorer of the Afrotropical Lepidoptera .

Distribution ( Map 2 ). Afroracotis fiebigi is a widespread species distributed throughout equatorial Africa with confirmed records from Bioko Island, Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia and Uganda.

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).