Afroracotis (Afroracotis) aliena, 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 : 21-22

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) aliena sp. n.

( Figs 21 , 139 , 297 )

Holotype. Female , „ TANZANIA, 1100m, Tegetero, Uluguru Mountains, S06°55’03”, E37°43’16”, 30.vi.–3.vii.10 Light Trap leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H.”, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00073427, gen. slide No.: LG 4084, DNA barcode/ BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109629/GWOUE418-20 ( ANHRT).

Diagnosis. Forewing length 22 mm. The single female specimen of A. aliena sp. n. collected in the Uluguru Mts, Tanzania has its wings more densely speckled with greenish-grey scales than in any other species of the A. squalida species-group. The gently S-shaped forewing medial fascia of the new species is diffuse, but broader and more conspicuous than in its congeners. The hindwing margin of A. aliena is smoothly rounded, more similar to A. squalida than to A. incompletaria . In the female genitalia, the lack of globular protuberation of the cervix bursae suggests a closer relationship to A. incompletaria corroborated by the genetic analyses, with A. aliena recovered as a sister species of A. incompletaria . The two species are distinguished by the following characters of the female genitalia: A. aliena has somewhat shorter apophyses, a considerably shorter, narrower and less sclerotised antrum, a slightly longer and narrower ductus bursae and a markedly larger distal sclerotised area of the corpus bursae compared to those of A. incompletaria .

The male is unknown.

Genetic information. Afroracotis aliena has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AEE2474. As the species is known from its holotype only, the intraspecific genetic variability could not be calculated. The nearest neighbour of the species is A. squalida at a pairwise distance of 3.74–5.20%. The morphologically closer A. incompletaria diverges genetically from the new species by 4.76%.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the rather distinctive morphology of the species known from its female holotype only: the latin adjective “ alienus ” means “ alien ”.

Distribution ( Map 1 ). The new species is known to date only from the Uluguru Mts, an isolated mountain range in eastern Tanzania.

The Afroracotis (Afroracotis) angulosa species-group

Diagnosis. The species of the A. angulosa species-group are externally similar to those of the A. squalida complex, but they are generally smaller in size, having a shorter, apically more angled forewing, a medially angled hindwing with slightly scalloped termen and less distinct apical and medio-terminal patches of the forewing underside and apical patch of the hindwing underside. In the male clasping apparatus, the only mentionable difference between the two species-groups is the dissimilar shape of the juxta which is shorter, rounded triangular, shield-like in the A. angulosa group, while it is more elongate and medially constricted in the A. squalida group. The main distinctive characters between the two lineages are expressed in the configuration of the aedeagus-vesica complex. In the A. angulosa group the aedeagus is shorter and more stout, the vesica is broader, basally inflated, and armed with a robust thorn or hook-shaped cornutus distally; it may bear a field of fine spine-like cornuti medially. In the female genitalia, the cervix bursae is more elongate, less sclerotised, sometimes lacking a lateral protrusion and integrated into the corpus bursae forming a sclerotised distal section in the A. angulosa group, whereas in the A. squalida lineage the cervix bursae is represented by a sphaerical, heavily sclerotised, lateral protrusion.

Species content

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) angulosa ( Herbulot, 1973) comb. n.

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

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) stadiei sp. n.

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) violetteae sp. n.

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) fiebigi sp. n.

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) albitrigonis ( Prout, 1927) comb. n.

Figures

MAP 1. Distribution of the Afroracotis (Afroracotis) squalida 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 290–297. Female genitalia. 290. Afroracotis squalida squalida, Cameroon, slide No.: LG 4088 (NHMUK); 291. Ibidem, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 4068 (ANHRT); 292. A. s. voeltzkowii, Madagascar, slide No.: LG 4101 (NHMUK); 293. A. s. thomensis ssp. n., PT, São Tomé, slide No.: LG 5447 (ANHRT); 294. Ibidem, PT, São Tomé, slide No.: NHMUK 010316166 (NHMUK); 295. A. incompletaria incompletaria, Réunion, slide No.: LG 5048 (ZSM); 296. A. i. atrilunaria, Mauritius, slide No.: LG 4105 (NHMUK); 297. A. aliena sp. n., HT, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 4084 (ANHRT).