Afroracotis (Zebracotis) lydiae lydiae, 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 : 59-62

Afroracotis (Zebracotis) lydiae lydiae sp. n.

( Figs 89–92 , 182–183 , 260–262 , 326–327 )

Holotype. Male , “ LIBERIA, 530m, Lofa County, Foya Proposed Protected Area, 7°56’36”N, 10°16’36”W, 10– 19.xi.2017, MV Light Trap (125w),Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. Leg., ANHRT:2017.33”, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00085497, gen. slide No.: LG 5788 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. Cameroon. 1 female, „Afriq. Occid. Johann Albrechts Ĥhe, Station Kamerun L. Conradt 1898”, QR code label with unique id.: NHMUK010402123 , gen. slide No.: LG 4097; 1 female, Johann Albrechts Ĥhe, Station Kamerun, L. Conradt leg., 1896; 1 female, Bitji , Ja River , Cameroons 2000 ft., Wet Season, iv.–v.1909, G. L. Bates leg. ( NHMUK) ; 1 male, Campo Village (farmland-secondary forest), 950m, 2°22’40.91”N, 9°50’25.55”E, 9.iii.2018, MV Light Trap, Fotsing, E., Ishmael, K., Miles, W., Sáfián, Sz. leg., ANHRT : 2018.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00099413, gen. slide No.: LG 5011 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, Southwestern Province , Mount Kupe , Nature Trail, Cave, 2 km E of Nyasoso, 990m, 4°49’24.4”N, 9°41’15.4”E, 17.v.2009, light trap, leg. M. Ochse, gen. slide No.: LG 5094, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 38701/GWOSH365-10 ( RCMO) ; 1 male, 1 female, Mount Cameroon , Bonenza 9°5.6’E, 4°4.9’N, 21.i.1989, Primary forest 10m above Dr Edwards’ forest plot ( RMCA) ; 3 males, 3 females, Ayos , galerie forestière du Nyong, 3°33’N, 11°38’E, 660 m, 12.–20.v.1974, leg. Ph. Darge, gen. slide No.:TK 3206 (male), TK 3207 (female) ( SMNS, SDEI, MNVD) . DRC. 1 male, Kinshasa , 10.ii.1976 ( ANHRT) ; 2 males, Sankuru , Lusambo, 6.viii.1950, leg. Dr. Fontaine ; 1 male, same site and collector, 21.x.1949; 1 male, same site and collector, 31.vii.1950; 1 male, same site and collector, 21.viii.1950; 1 female, same site and collector, 19. viii.1950; 1 female, Lusambo et env. 18.viii.1950, leg. Dr. Fontaine, gen. slide No.: LG 5857 ; 1 male, Sankuru , Dimbelenge, 8.i.1951, leg. Dr. M. Fontaine ; 1 male, Uele , Paulis [Isiro], 7.ii.1956, leg. Dr. M. Fontaine ; 1 male, same site and collector, 1.v.1956; 1 female, same site and collector, 12.iv.1956; 1 male, same site and collector, 19. iv.1958; 1 male, Elisabethville [Lubumbashi], 1.v.1950, leg. Ch. Seydel ; 1 male, Kisangani , 20.ii.1971, leg. J. Taverniers ; 1 male, Mayumbe , iv.1923, leg. J. Ghesquiére ; 1 female, Lowa , Bimbi, 16.vii.1955, ex coll. F.G. Overlaet ; 1 male, Equateur , Bokuma, 12.xii.1940, leg. Rév. P. Hulstaert ; 1 male, same site and collector, but collected in 1936; 1 female, Kinshasa , xi.1906, leg. Waelbroeck ; 1 female, Ubangi , Molegbwe [Molegbe], 9.iii.1950, leg. R.P. Mostinckx ; 1 male, Stanleyville [Kisangani], 2.vi.1912, leg. Dr. Christy ; 1 male, P.N.A. 12.vi.1957, P. Vanschuytbroeck, VS 51, Secteur Nord riv. Butahu affl. Semliki, 1320m, piège lumineux ( RMCA) ; 1 female, Dungu , Upper Uelle distr. April ( NHMUK) . Equatorial Guinea, Bioko . 1 female, Fernando-Poo , Centre de l’ile, 1000m, 25.v.–10.vi.1997, Dr. J.-G. Canu, gen. slide No.: LG 4769, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 74422/ GWORK1350-15 ( ZSM) ; 1 female, Playa de Moraca , 1.3 km W Punta Sagre, 3°15’53”N, 8°29’16”E, 13.–16.ii.2002, leg. H. Hoppe, gen. slide No.: TK 3184 ( MNVD) . Gabon. 3 males, Ogooue Ivindo P.N. Ivindo , Station de Recherche, d’Ipassa, 450m, 0°30’43”N, 12°48’12”E, 14–26.vi.2016, Ruzzier, E., Tasane, T. leg., ANHRT : 2017.19, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00045231, 00049510, 00049511, gen. slide Nos: LG 4822, LG 4823, LG 4824, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109612/GWOUE401-20 ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, same locality, 22–23.vi.2016, leg. T. Karisch, gen. slide No.: TK 3869 ; 1 female, same locality, 26.–27.vi.2016, leg. T. Karisch, gen. slide No.: TK 3879 ( SDEI) ; 1 male, same locality, 26.vi.2016, leg. K.-R. Beck, gen. slide No.: TK 3868 ( SMNS) ; 7 males, 2 females, Mikongo ( Rougier ), Monts de Cristal (Secondary Forest), 430m, 0°29’47”N, 11°10’42”E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, Actinic, LepiLED and MV Light Trap, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT :2019.17, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00130449 (dissected), 00131145, 00131410, 00131557, 00131855 (dissected), 00137616, 00165219, 00173490, 00204510, gen. slide Nos: LG 5404 (female), LG 5413 (male); 3 males, Nyonie (Lowland Forest and grassland), 10m, 0°2’22”S, 9°20’25”E, 23–28.viii.2019, MV and LepiLED Light Trap, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT:2019.17, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00137557, 00214188, 00215475, gen. slide No.: LG 5415 ( ANHRT) . Ghana. 1 female, Kumasi , 23 Mar –3 Apr., Lt. Sanders leg., E.R. Bankes Collection, B.M. 1928–208 ; 1 female, Gold Coast ( NHMUK) . Guinea. 2 males, Ditinn , Chute de Ditinn, 771m, 10°49’08”N, 12°11’30”W, 18–25.ix.2019, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Koivagui, S., Leno, M., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L., Sáfián, Sz. leg., ANHRT: 2019.19, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00166250, 00177609 (dissected), gen. slide No.: LG 5423 ; 1 male, 1 female, Guinée Forestière Monts Nimba UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mont Richard Molard camp and ridge (High-Altitude Grassland & Forest), 1400– 1752m, 07°36’19”N, 08°25’30”W, 1–7.vii.2019, 250 W Blended Light Trap, Dérozier, V., Miles, W., Sáfián, S. leg., ANHRT:2019.11, unique ids:ANHRTUK 00149623, 00181274 (dissected), gen. slide No.: LG 5439 (female), DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00149623/ANLMN3669-21 ; 1 female, Geipa Camp , Foret de Diecke, 435m, 7°26’7.06”N, 8°50’47.87”W, 05–14.iv.2019, Cold Cathode UV Light Trap (8W), Sáfián, Sz., Koivogui, S, leg., ANHRT :2019.7, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00106247; 1 male, 1 female, Guinèe Forestière , Foret Classée de Ziama , Sérédou (Lowland Forest-Farmland), 625m, 08°21’26”N, 09°17’48”W, 9–16.vii.2019, LepiLED and MV Light Trap, Dérozier,V., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Sáfián, S., Warner, L. leg., ANHRT:2019.11, unique ids:ANHRTUK 00149633 (dissected), 00175208, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00149633/ANLMN3670-21 ; 1 male, Dalaba , Foret de Tinka, 1289m, 10°43’14”N, 12°15’22”W, 25–28.ix.2019, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Leno, M., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L., Sáfián, Sz. Leg., ANHRT:2019.19, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00177407 ; 1 male, Dalaba , Foret de Goubel, 10°39’27”N, 12°15’44”W, 10–18.ix.2019, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Leno, M., Koivagui, S., Miles, W., Mulvaney, L., Sáfián, Sz. Leg., ANHRT:2019.19, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00179352 ( ANHRT) ; 1 male, Nzerekore , Lola Protecture, Ziela Forest, 550m, 17.xi.–1.xii.2013, 7.719°N, 8.360°W, leg. local coll., gen. slide No.: LG 4423, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 96383/GWOTT332-17 ( ZSM) . Ivory Coast. 1 male, 1171 m, Mt Tonkoui Peak , N07°27’15.2”, W07°38’12.5” 1–8.xi.2015, Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P. & Ruzzier, E., ANHRT:2017.16, unique id.: ANHRTUK00214289, gen. slide No.: LG 4060 ; 1 male, same site, 20–27.v.2018, General coll., Aristophanous, M., Miles, W., Moretto, P., Outtara, Y. leg., ANHRT:2018.28, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00215729 (dissected) ; 3 males, same site, 19–27.xi.2019, Actinic Light Trap, leg. Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S., ANHRT:2019.23, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00181967, 00181978, 00182292 ; 1 male, 174m Tai NP, Tai Research Station , 05°49’59.8”N, 07°20’32”W, 14– 23.xi.2015, Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Moretto, P., Ruzzier, E. leg., unique id.: ANHRTUK 00073435, gen. slide No.: LG 4073, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109637/GWOUE426-20 ; 1 male, 4 females, Banco National Park , 40m, 05°23’3.8”N, 04°03’11.2”W, 29.xi.–5.xii.2019, LepiLED and Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, A., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. leg. ANHRT:2019.23, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00181346, 00181358, 00181774, 00181941 ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, Lamto (Toumodi) Côte d’Ivoire, 26.iii.1968, leg. CI. Girard ( RMCA) ; 1 female, Bingerville , June 11. 1915 G. Melou leg. ; 1 female, same site and collector, Sept. 8–11. 1915; 1 female, same site and collector, June 1–4. 1915; 1 female, same site and collector, June 1–7. 1915 ( NHMUK) . Liberia. 1 female, with the same data as in the holotype, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00085001 ; 1 male, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Rosewood Camp , 585m, 8°06’14.9”N, 9°58’27.3”W, 18.xi.–1.xii.2018, MV Light Trap, Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT : 2018.43, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00060423, gen. slide No. : LG 4983, DNA barcode/ BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109626/GWOUE415-20 ; 1 female, Lofa county, Wologizi Mts, Ridge Camp 2, 883m, 8°07’20.79”N, 9°56’50.75”W, 22–30.xi.2018, Light Trap Blended Bulb (250W), Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT : 2018.43, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00060404, gen. slide No. : LG 4979, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109623/GWOUE412-20 ; 3 females, Welezu camp, Wonegizi Nature Reserve , Lofa County, 551m, 8°4’57.11”N, 9°34’47.86”W, 19–27.iii.2019, Light Trap Blended Bulb (250W), Sáfián, Sz., Koivogui, S. leg., ANHRT:2019.7, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00106250 (dissected), 00106252 (dissected), 00106253 ; 1 male, Sinoe County, 6.5km NW of Jacksonville, Forest near Solve Problem Village , 103m, 5°26’25”N, 9°7’39.9”W, 23– 27.i.2018, MV Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT:2017.33, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00090207 (dissected) ( ANHRT) . Nigeria. 1 female, Old Calabar, Lower Nigeria , F. G. Pudney leg. ( NHMUK) . São Tome and Príncipe, Príncipe Island. 1 male, Terreiro Velho , 22.xii.1992, leg. J. Wojtusiak, gen. slide No.: LG 5395 ( NECJU) ; 2 males, 2 females, Terreiro Velho , 220m, 1°37’N, 7°25’E, vii.2018, leg. D. Lima, ANHRT :2018.41, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00171299, 00171320, 00171414, 00171559, 9 males, 4 females, Pegada do Pico , 300m, 1°35’N, 7°25’E, v.2018, leg. D. Lima, ANHRT :2018.41, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00166176–00166184, 00166186, 00171597, 00171614, 00171632, gen. slide No.: LG 5789 (male); 1 male, Barracão, Terreiro Velho , 170m, 1°36’N, 7°25’E, v.2018, leg. D. Lima, ANHRT :2018.41, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00166222; 1 male, 1 female, Baragem, Bela Vista , 150m, 1°36’N, 7°24’E, vii.2018, leg. D. Lima, ANHRT : 2018.41, unique ids:ANHRTUK 00166232, 00166233, gen. slide No.: LG 5790 (female) ( ANHRT) . Sierra Leone. 2 males, 1 female, Mansonia village at the foothills of Loma Mts , 420m, 09°07’47”N, 11°05’06” W, 6.vi.2016, Light Trap, leg. Takano, Miles & Goff, ANHRT: 2017.18, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00013998, 00014290, 00015671, gen. slide Nos: LG 4806, LG 4814 (males), LG 4811 (female) ; 2 males, Tiwai Island, Moa River , 120m, 07°33’00” N, 11°21’09” W, 17–22.vi.2016, Light Trap, leg. Takano, Miles & Goff, ANHRT : 2017.18, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00015215, 00029893, gen. slide Nos: LG 4807, LG 4813 ( ANHRT) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 17–24 mm. Afroracotis lydiae sp. n. is closely related to A. chaineyi , distinguished externally by its more conspicuous and larger postmedial blotches of the wings, although reliable identification requires the examination of the genitalia morphology, especially in case of worn specimens. The configuration of the vesica of the new species is rather similar to that of A. chaineyi , with a somewhat shorter protractile diverticulum bearing a markedly shorter, more robust, pointed apical cornutus (it is apically rounded-serrate in A. chaineyi ) and a distal cornuti field consisting of shorter, denser and more numerous cornuti. Comparing the female genitalia of the new species with those of A. chaineyi , the former has a considerably longer, goblet-shaped antrum (it is rather cup-shaped in A. chaineyi ), a markedly shorter, somewhat less sclerotised elongate section of the cervix/corpus bursae complex with more extensive finely striate sclerotization of the posterior part of the corpus bursae (it is considerably more deeply striate in the related species) and a more elongate anterior membranous part of the corpus bursae with a heavily sclerotised medial plate supposedly serving as a receptive surface of the distal cornuti vesicae during copulation.

Genetic information. The new species belongs to the BIN URI: BOLD:AAH6035. The intraspecific divergence is 0.00–0.32%. The nearest neighbour of the species is the A. zebrina-chaineyi-smithi-milesi complex of the BIN URI: BOLD:AAF9530 diverging by 2.17–3.38%. The morphologically closest relative of A. lydiae is its East African allopatric sibling A. lydiae orientalis ssp. n. (assigned to the same BIN URI as the zebrina -complex) with a pairwise distance of 2.57–3.08% between the two taxa. The results of the genetic and morphological analyses of this species are rather incongruent as the two subspecies of A. lydiae recovered in largely distant clusters in the phylogenetic tree, with the nominotypical subspecies being recovered in a sister clade of the morphologically highly distinctive A. helicalis sp. n., whilst A. lydiae orientalis ssp. n. clustered as a sister clade of the A. zebrina-chaineyi-smithi-milesi complex. Hybridisation with genetic introgression in the past may be an explanation for this finding.

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Lydia Mulvaney (née Smith), talented entomological researcher at ANHRT, participant of numerous research expeditions to Africa and collector of numerous new insect taxa.

Distribution ( Map 5 ). Afroracotis lydiae is widely distributed in western and central Africa with records from Bioko, Cameroon, DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Príncipe and Sierra Leone.

Figures

MAP 5. Distribution of the subgenus Zebracotis 1.: A. (Z.) chaineyi sp. n., lydiae lydiae sp. n., lydiae orientalis ssp. n., madagascariensis and zebrina.

FIGURES 81–100. Adults, dorsal view. 81. Afroracotis zebrina, LT of Racotis zebrina, ♁, Nigeria (NHMUK); 82. Ibidem, ♁, Guinea (ANHRT); 83. Ibidem, ♀, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 84. Ibidem, ♀, Liberia (ANHRT); 85. A. chaineyi sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon (ANHRT); 86. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 87. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Zambia (ANHRT); 88. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Guinea (ANHRT); 89. A. lydiae lydiae sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 90. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 91. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Guinea (ANHRT); 92. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Bioko (ZSM); 93. A. lydiae orientalis ssp. n., HT, ♁, Tanzania (ANHRT); 94. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Mozambique (ANHRT); 95. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Tanzania (ANHRT); 96. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Mozambique (ANHRT); 97. A. madagascariensis, HT of Racotis madagascariensis, ♁, Madagascar (NHMUK); 98. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Madagascar (NHMUK); 99. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Madagascar (NHMUK); 100. Ibidem, ♀, Madagascar (ANHRT).

FIGURES 171–190. Adults, ventral view. 171. Afroracotis atriclava, ST of Cleora atriclava, ♁, Madagascar (ZSM); 172. Ibidem, ST, ♀, Madagascar (ZSM); 173. A. turlini sp. n., PT, ♁, Rwanda (ZSM); 174. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Rwanda (ZSM); 175. A. zebrina, LT of Racotis zebrina, ♁, Nigeria (NHMUK); 176. A. zebrina, ♁, Guinea (ANHRT); 177. Ibidem, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 178. Ibidem, ♀, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 179. A. chaineyi sp. n., HT, ♁, Gabon (ANHRT); 180. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 181. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Bioko (ZSM); 182. A. lydiae lydiae sp. n., PT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 183. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Guinea (ANHRT); 184. A. lydiae orientalis ssp. n., HT, ♁, Tanzania (ANHRT); 185. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Tanzania (ANHRT); 186. A. madagascariensis, ♁, Madagascar (NHMUK); 187. Ibidem, ♀, Madagascar (ANHRT); 188. A. smithi sp. n., HT, ♁, Zambia (ANHRT); 189. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Zambia (ANHRT); 190. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM).

FIGURES 256–261. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 256. Afroracotis zebrina, Ivory Coast, slide No. LG 4785 (ZSM); 257. A. chaineyi sp. n., HT, Gabon, slide No. LG 5405 (ANHRT); 258. Ibidem, PT, Nigeria, slide No. LG 4092 (NHMUK); 259. Ibidem, PT, Zambia, slide No. LG 4971 (ANHRT); 260. A. lydiae lydiae sp. n., HT, Liberia, slide No. LG 5788 (ANHRT); 261. Ibidem, PT, Gabon, slide No. LG 4824 (ANHRT).

FIGURES 262–267. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 262. Afroracotis lydiae lydiae sp. n., PT, Princípe, slide No. LG 5789 (ANHRT); 263. A. l. orientalis ssp. n., HT, Tanzania, slide No.LG 4172 (ANHRT); 264. Ibidem, Mozambique, slide No. LG 4932 (ANHRT); 265. Ibidem, Rwanda, slide No. LG 5536 (RCHS); 266. A. madagascariensis, Madagascar, slide No. LG 4102 (NHMUK); 267. Ibidem, Madagascar, slide No. LG 4787 (ZSM).

FIGURES 320–327. Female genitalia. 320. Afroracotis zebrina, Liberia, slide No.: LG 5436 (ANHRT); 321. Ibidem, Ivory Coast, slide No.: LG 4743 (ZSM); 322. A. chaineyi sp. n., PT, Guinea, slide No.: LG 5446 (ANHRT); 323. Ibidem, PT, Bioko, slide No.: LG 5073 (ZSM); 324. Ibidem, PT, Zambia, slide No.: LG 5432 (ANHRT); 325. Ibidem, PT, DRC, slide No.: LG 5054 (ZSM); 326. A. lydiae lydiae sp. n., PT, Guinea, slide No.: LG 5439 (ANHRT); 327 Ibidem, PT, Gabon, gen. slide No.: LG 5404 (ANHRT).