Afroracotis (Afroracotis) stadiei, 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 : 26-27

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) stadiei sp. n.

( Figs 29–31 , 144 , 224–225 , 300–301 )

Holotype. Male , “Machame— Tanzania, Mach. Wald Plot 105 UTM 0305044, 9651393, 2120m, 06.05.2002 Blacklight 1900 – 1930 h, G. Holtmann leg.”, gen. slide No.: LG 4763, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 29334/GWORR118-10 ( ZSM).

Paratypes. Rwanda. 1 male, Foret Nyungwe, Rte Delvaux, Km 18, 2000m, 19.X.1974, B. Turlin, gen. slide No.: LG 4788 ; 1 male, Nyungwe Village , 2000m, 2.I.1976, B. Turlin, gen. slide No.: LG 4789 ( ZSM) . Tanzania. 2 females, Machame, Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve , UTM 37S 304860, 9651132, 28.iii.2001, 2130m, P2, <10° large gap, Blacklight 19–20.00 h, J. Axmacher leg., gen. slide Nos: LG 4760, LG 5050, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 27675/GWORO739-09 ( ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 24–27 mm. Afroracotis stadiei sp. n. is an East-African sibling of A. angulosa , the morphological comparison between the two species is provided in the diagnosis of the latter taxon. Compared to A. fiebigi sp. n., A. stadiei has a much shorter and more curved distal cornutus of the vesica, compared to the more robust, and straight cornutus of its congener.

In the female genitalia, compared to A. fiebigi sp. n., the new species has a distinct cervix bursae, whereas it is fully merged with the bursa copulatrix in the allied species.

Genetic information. The species belongs to the BIN URI: BOLD:AAH0786. The intraspecific divergence calculated from two sequenced specimens is 0.00%. The nearest neighbour of A. stadiei is A. angulosa at a pairwise distance of 1.11–1.65% and it differs from A. fiebigi sp. n. and A. violetteae sp. n. by 1.63–2.16% and 1.79–2.01%, respectively.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Dirk Stadie (Lutherstadt Eisleben, Germany), renowned lepidopterist, expert in Afrotropical geometrids.

Distribution ( Map 2 ). Afroracotis stadiei has been recorded to date from the foothills of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda.

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).

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).