Afroracotis (Zebracotis) helicalis, 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 : 69

Afroracotis (Zebracotis) helicalis sp. n.

( Figs 113–115 , 198–200 , 278–280 , 336 )

Holotype. Male , “ GABON, 430m, Mikongo (Rougier), Monts de Cristal (Secondary Forest), 0°29’47”N, 11°10’42”E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, Actinic Light, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. Leg., ANHRT:2019.17”. unique id.: ANHRTUK 00208634, gen. slide No.: LG 5621 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Gabon. 2 males, with the same data as in the holotype, but collected by LepiLED light trap, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00137859, 00131519, gen. slide Nos: LG 5412, LG 5792, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 112986/GWOUH070-21 ; 1 male, same data but collected by MV light trap, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00165894, gen. slide No.: LG 5399, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 112988/GWOUH072-21 ; 1 female, 10m, Nyonie (Lowland Forest), 0°2’22”S, 9°20’25”E, 23–28.viii.2019, LepiLED Light Trap, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT : 2019.17, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00215784, gen. slide No.: LG 5624 ( ANHRT) . Republic of the Congo. 1 female, Odzala National Park , 400–500m, 0°23’N, 14°50’E, 29.i.–03.iii.1997, leg. S. Murzin & V. Siniaev, gen. slide No.: GU TK 3631 ( SDEI) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 19–21.5 mm. There have not been any observed external diagnostic characters which would allow A. helicalis sp. n. to be unambiguously distinguished from the other species of the Zebracotis subgenus. Nevertheless, the new species has a unique feature in the configuration of the male genitalia: the vesica of A. helicalis is characteristically coiled, rendering the species unmistakable within Zebracotis . To recognize this character, however, everting of the vesica during dissection is necessary. The distinctive characters of the female genitalia of A. helicalis , A. milesi and A. ochsei are provided under the diagnosis of A. milesi .

Genetic information. The species has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AEI2520. The intraspecific divergence based on two sequenced specimens is 0.00%. The nearest neighbours of A. helicalis are A. takanoi sp. n. (BIN URI: BOLD:AEE7886) and A. lydiae lydiae (BIN URI: BOLD:AAH6035) with pairwise distances of 3.61–4.42% and 3.61–3.93%, respectively.

Etymology. The specific name of the new taxon refers to its unique spiralling configuration of the vesica.

Distribution ( Map 6 ). Afroracotis helicalis is presumably confined to the Congolian lowland rainforests with confirmed records from Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.

Figures

MAP 6. Distribution of the subgenus Zebracotis 2.: A. (Z.) helicalis sp. n., milesi sp. n., ochsei sp. n., smithi sp. n. and takanoi sp. n.

FIGURES 101–120. Adults, dorsal view (all in coll. ANHRT, unless otherwise stated). 101. A. smithi sp. n., HT, ♁, Zambia; 102. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Gabon; 103. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Zambia; 104. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 105. A. milesi sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon; 106. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon; 107. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon; 108. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Zambia; 109. A. ochsei sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon; 110. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Gabon; 111. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Gabon; 112. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Gabon; 113. A. helicalis sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon; 114. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Gabon; 115. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Gabon; 116. A. takanoi sp. n., HT, ♁, Sierra Leone; 117. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Guinea; 118. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Liberia; 119. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia; 120. A. staudei sp. n., HT, ♁, Kenya (RCHS).

FIGURES 191–210. Adults, ventral view (all in coll. ANHRT, unless otherwise stated). 191. Afroracotis milesi sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon; 192. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon; 193. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Zambia; 194. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Gabon; 195. A. ochsei sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon; 196. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Gabon; 197. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Gabon; 198. A. helicalis sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon; 199. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Gabon; 200. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Gabon; 201. A. takanoi sp. n., HT, ♁, Sierra Leone; 202. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Guinea; 203. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Ivory Coast; 204. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia; 205. A. staudei sp. n., HT, ♁, Kenya (RCHS); 206. Racotis boarmiaria, LT, ♁, India (NHMUK); 207. Chorocotis ugandaria, HT of Boarmia ugandaria, ♁, Uganda (NHMUK); 208. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (NHMUK); 209. Colocleora breijeri, ♁, RSA (RCDS); 210. C. incauta, ♁, RSA (NHMUK).

FIGURES 274–279. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 274. Afroracotis milesi sp. n., PT, Zambia, slide No. LG 4061 (ANHRT); 275. A. ochsei sp. n., HT, Gabon, slide No. LG 5406 (ANHRT); 276. Ibidem, PT, Cameroon, slide No. LG 4413 (ZSM); 277. Ibidem, PT, Gabon, slide No. LG 5414 (ANHRT); 278. A. helicalis sp. n., HT, Gabon, slide No. LG 5621 (ANHRT); 279. Ibidem, PT, Gabon, slide No. LG 5412 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 280–284. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 280. Afroracotis helicalis sp. n., PT, Gabon, slide No. LG 5399 (ANHRT); 281. A. takanoi sp. n., HT, Sierra Leone, slide No. LG 4810 (ANHRT); 282. Ibidem, PT, Guinea, slide No. LG 5445 (ANHRT); 283. Ibidem, PT, Liberia, slide No. LG 4982 (ANHRT); 284. A. staudei sp. n., HT, Kenya, slide No. LG 5540 (RCHS).

FIGURES 336–339. Female genitalia. 336. Afroracotis helicalis sp. n., PT, Gabon, slide No.: LG 5624 (ANHRT); 337. A. takanoi sp. n., PT, Liberia, slide No.: LG 5438 (ANHRT); 338. Ibidem, PT, Ivory Coast, slide No.: LG 4809 (ANHRT); 339. Chorocotis ugandaria, Cameroon, slide No.: NHMUK 010317818 (NHMUK).