Morabia politzari Hausmann & Tujuba, 2020

László, Gyula M. & Hausmann, Axel, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Morabia Hausmann & Tujuba, 2020 with descriptions of two new species and introducing five new generic combinations (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae), Zootaxa 5134 (2), pp. 215-237 : 217-218

Morabia politzari Hausmann & Tujuba, 2020

( Figs 1–2 , 20–21 , 35 )

Tujuba et al. (2020): 74. Holotype, female, Kenya, Sokoke Forest , coll. ZSM.

Type material examined. Holotype. Female, “ Kenya, Sokoke Forest , 31.7.94, leg. Dr. Politzar ”, BOLD sample ID: BC ZSM Lep add 57894 ( ZSM).

Paratypes. DRC. 1 female, E.[lizabeth]ville [ Lubumbashi ], 16.x.1955, Seydel, gen. slide No.: ZSM G 20935 ( ZSM) Kenya. 1 female, with the same data as in the holotype ; 1 female, same locality, 2.vii.1994, BOLD sample ID: BC ZSM Lep 74389 ; 1 male, Watama , 2.viii.1973, leg. H. Politzar, gen. slide No.: ZSM G 20934 ( ZSM) . Tanzania. 3 females, Bagamoyo dist. Vigwaza , 231 m, 06°42.89’S, 038°52.52’E, 30.iii.2014, leg. Ph. Darge ; 1 female, Pwani region, Ruvu forest reserve, 220 m, 06°57.27’S, 038°49.36’E, 03.iii.2014, leg. Ph. Darge ( ZSM) .

Additional material examined. Kenya. 1 male, Gedi, Arabuko, Sokoke Forest Reserve , Brachystegia sand forest, ca. 50m, 3º24’S, 39 º53’E, 21.vii.2002, leg. H.S. Staude ( RCHS) . Mozambique. 1 male, Maputo Special Reserve, West Gate, Sand Forest , 22m, 26°30’14.2”S, 32°42’59.6”E, 3-13.xii.2016, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Cristovão, J., László, G., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT : 2017.22, unique number: ANHRTUK00011745, gen. slide No.: LG 5467 ( ANHRT) . Republic of South Africa. 1 male, Natal, Pinetown, Krantzkloof Nature Reserve , 200m, 29°46’S, 30°50’E, Riverine forest , H.S. Staude, 26.iv.1995, gen. slide No.: LG 5527 ; 1 male, Northern Province, Gundani village, Brachystegia woodland, 840m, 22.39°S, 30.34°E, 26.xi.2000, H.S. Staude, gen. slide No.: LG 5528 ( RCHS) ; 1 female, The Haven, Transkei , 2.i.1981, leg. A.J. Duke, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317360 (prepared by László) ( NHMUK).

Diagnosis. Morabia politzari (Hausmann & Tujuba, 2020) has conspicuous, large, isolated, black subapical blotches on the underside of fore- and hindwings, similar to M. nigripunctata ( Warren, 1897) and M. cryptica sp. n. The distinctive characters between the three taxa are discussed in detail under the diagnosis of the last species.

Description. Detailed description of the species is provided in Tujuba et al. (2020).

Genetic information ( Fig. 44 ). BIN: BOLD: ABX0432 (n=2 from Kenya), intraspecific variation 0.25%. Nearest neighbouring species: M. smithi , BIN-sharing at a genetic distance (minimum pairwise distance) of 1.1%. Minimum genetic distances of less than 2% in allopatric populations ( M. smithi versus M. politzari ) are often best classified as different subspecies, but in this case the marked differences in morphology clearly support distinct species status of both taxa.

Distribution ( Fig. 43 ). The species is distributed along the eastern coast of Africa with records from DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa. The specimens from Mozambique and South Africa represent new country records.

Figures

FIGURE 43. Distribution of the Morabia species.

FIGURE 44. Maximum likelihood tree of Morabia.

FIGURES 1–10. Adults, a: dorsal, b: ventral view. 1, Morabia politzari, ♂, RSA (RCHS); 2, Ibidem, ♀, RSA (NHMUK); 3, M. nigripunctata, ST, ♂, Nigeria (NHMUK); 4, Ibidem, ♀, Sierra Leone (NHMUK); 5, Ibidem, ♂, Mozambique (ANHRT); 6, Ibidem, ♀, Malawi (NHMUK); 7, M. cryptica sp. n., HT, ♂, Zambia (ANHRT); 8, Ibidem, PT, ♂, Zambia (ANHRT); 9, Ibidem, PT, ♀, Zambia (RCAK); 10, M. brunnea, ♂, Zambia (ANHRT).

FIGURES 20–28. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 20, Morabia politzari, Mozambique, slide No. LG 5467 (ANHRT); 21, Ibidem, RSA, slide No. LG 5528 (RCHS); 22, M. nigripunctata, HT, Nigeria, slide No. BM Geo 4990 (NHMUK); 23, Ibidem, Sierra Leone, slide No. LG 5520 (ANHRT); 24, Ibidem, Gabon, slide No. G 21276 (ZSM); 25, Ibidem, Mozambique, slide No. LG 5288 (ANHRT); 26, M. cryptica sp. n., HT, Zambia, slide No. LG 5289 (ANHRT); 27, Ibidem, PT, DRC, slide No. NHMUK 010317364 (NHMUK); 28, M. brunnea, Zambia, slide No. LG 5300 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 35–42. Female genitalia. 35, Morabia politzari, RSA, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317360 (NHMUK); 36, M. nigripunctata, Sierra Leone, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317229 (NHMUK); 37, Ibidem, Zambia, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317362 (NHMUK); 38, M. cryptica sp. n., PT, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317361 (NHMUK); 39, M. distinctaria, Mauritius, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317355 (NHMUK); 40, M. hero, Madagascar, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317356 (NHMUK); 41, M. herbuloti, Reunion, gen. slide No.: G 21274 (ZSM); 42, M. pluto, Madagascar, gen. slide No.: NHMUK 010317354 (NHMUK).