Afroracotis (Zebracotis) lydiae orientalis, 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 : 62-63

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5308.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CCA5F817-6B5F-4BE5-BEFB-EDE98C07A0EE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8081049
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EB442B-5D00-FF82-57F5-5622FBCDFF50
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Afroracotis (Zebracotis) lydiae orientalis
status	subsp. nov.

Treatment

Afroracotis (Zebracotis) lydiae orientalis ssp. n.

( Figs 93–96 View FIGURES 81–100 , 184–185 View FIGURES 171–190 , 263–265 View FIGURES 262–267 , 328–329 View FIGURES 328–335 )

Holotype. Male , Tanzania, 1100m, Tegetero , Uluguru Mountains, S 06°55’03”, E37°43’16”, 30.IV.–1.V.11, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H. ”, ANHRT:2017.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00073433, gen. slide No.: LG 4172, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109635/GWOUE424-20 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Malawi. 1 male, Mkuwazi Forest , Nkhata Bay District, 500m, 11°41’S, 34°15.5’E, 20–21.v.2013, leg. R.J. Murphy ( RCHS) GoogleMaps . Mozambique. 3 males, 9 females, Sofala Province, Gorongosa N.P., Mt Gorongosa SE slope, (Riverine Forest / Grassland ), 937m, 18°28’58.9”S, 34°02’40.6”E, 8–9.viii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT GoogleMaps : 2018.30, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00075736, 00075931, 00075953, 00075954, 00075957, 00075958, 00077818, 00077820, 00078009, 00078019, 00078105, 00078909, gen. slide Nos: LG 4932, LG 4956 (males), LG 4955, LG 4957, LG 4958 (females), DNA barcode/BOLD process ids: BC ZSM Lep 109642/GWOUE431-20, BC ZSM Lep 109643/GWOUE432-20, BC ZSM Lep 109644/GWOUE433- 20 ; 1 male, 1 female, Manica Province, Chimanimani National Reserve, Moribane Forest, Ndzou Camp , ( Moist Forest ), 630m, 19°44’01.4”S, 33°20’15.1”E, 3–5.viii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT GoogleMaps : 2018.30, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00046885, 00094133, gen. slide Nos : LG 4828 (female), LG 4993 (male), DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109611/GWOUE400-20 ; 1 female, Maputo Special Reserve, Ponta Milibangalala, Dune Grassland , 15m, 26°26’58.6”S, 32°55’29.8”E, 25–30.v.2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT GoogleMaps : 2017.26, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00008846, gen. slide No.: LG 5010 ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, 15 km NE of Beira , 15–16.iv.1996, N.J. Duke, unique id.: NHMUK010402130 View Materials , gen. slide No. : LG 4104 ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Mecula Mt. , Niassa NP, 12°04.630’S, 27°38.007’E, 5–11.v.2012, JB, MH, CC, SC ABRI leg. ( RCHS) GoogleMaps . Rwanda. 1 male, Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Burundi road, 02°32’16”S, 29°14’27”E, 1900m, 21.vi.2009, leg. H.S. Staude, gen. slide No.: LG 5536 ( RCHS) GoogleMaps . Tanzania. 1 male, 2 females, with the same data as in the holotype, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00194619–00194621 GoogleMaps ; 3 females, same site, but collected at 30.vi.– 3.vii.2010, ANHRT : 2017.1, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00073436, 00194622, 00194623, gen. slide No.: LG 4081, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109638/GWOUE427-20 ; 2 males, Masalawe, Uluguru Mountains , 1261m, 06°55’34.4”S, 37°42’18.7”E, 2–4.v.2011, Light trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT GoogleMaps : 2017.3, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00073434, 00194624, gen. slide Nos: LG 4063, LG 4080, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109636/GWOUE425-20 ; 1 male, Nambiga Forest, Ulanga , 348m, 08°34’53.1”S, 36°29’20.7”E, 28.iv.2011, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT GoogleMaps :2017.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00194625, gen. slide No.: LG 4171; 1 male, Mahenge Scarp Forest , 562m, 08°37’10.6”S, 36°42’46.3”E, 24.iv.2011, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT GoogleMaps :2017.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00194626; 1 female, Njia Panda, Mwanihana, Udzungwa Mountains N.P., 970m, 07°47’27.7”S, 36°49’33.7”E, 27–30.xi.2010 Light Trap leg. Smith, R & Takano, H., ANHRT GoogleMaps : 2017.2, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00194627, gen. slide No.: LG 4173 ( ANHRT) . 1 female, Nachingwea , April 1961, W. Bigger, unique id.: NHMUK010402124 View Materials , gen. slide No.: LG 4098; 1 female, Amani Malaria Institute , G. Pringle coll., 11/1962, unique id.: NHMUK010402125 View Materials , gen. slide No. : LG 4099 ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Mts Uluguru, Morning Side, Toelo for. Alt. 1450m, 21–29.vi.1971, Mission Mts Uluguru, L. Berger, N. Leleup, J. Debecker, V/ VIII/71 ( RMCA) . Zimbabwe. 1 male, Rusitu Forest , 4–6.v.1997, leg. N.J. Duke ; 1 female, Chirinda Forest, Mt. Selinda , 13–15.v.1997, leg. N.J. Duke ( RCHS) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 19–23 mm. The East African subspecies of A. lydiae can be distinguished externally from the nominotypical subspecies by its somewhat lighter brown, more pale greyish and often slightly rusty colouration and the smaller, more elongate postmedial patches of the wings. The configuration of the male genitalia of the two taxa does not display any noticeable differences. In the female genitalia, spp. orientalis displays a somewhat shorter antrum and a more elongate posterior part of the cervix/corpus bursae complex.

Genetic information. Afroracotis lydiae orientalis is assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AAF9530, incongruently BIN—sharing with the A. zebrina-chaineyi-smithi-milesi species-complex.The infraspecific divergence of orientalis is 0.00–0.17%. The pairwise distance between the two subspecies of A. lydiae is in the range of 2.57–3.08%.

Etymology. The subspecific name of the new taxon refers to its East African distribution.

Distribution ( Map 5 View MAP 5 ). The East African subspecies of A. lydiae is confined to areas east of the Albertine Rift with confirmed records from Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.