Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) longicornuta ugandana, 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 : 44-45

Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) longicornuta ugandana ssp. n.

( Figs 67–68 , 166 , 246–247 , 313 )

Holotype. Male , “ Uganda, Jinja, Mabira Forest, tropical rain forest, 00°23’02.9”N, 33°01’05”E, 1230m, 23-07- 2011, leg. H. S. Staude ”, gen. slide No.: LG 5529, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: HS-5411/ANLMN5038-21 ( RCHS / ZSM).

Paratypes. Uganda. 1 male, 1 female, with the same data as in the holotype, gen. slide No.: LG 5530 (male), LG 5531 (female) ( RCHS) . 1 male, Western Region , Prov. Fort Portal, Lake Nkuruba, N 0°31.100’, E30°18.146’, 1–6.vii.2011, 1530m, leg. H. Sulak, gen. slide No.: LG 4754 ( ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 21–23 mm. Afroracotis longicornuta ugandana ssp.n. is indistinguishable externally from the nominate subspecies, but its wing pattern is paler, less sharply defined and more greyish compared to the rather reddish-brown markings of A. longicornuta congolana . In the male genitalia, the cornutus is slightly shorter than in the other two subspecies. The distinctive characters between the female genitalia of ssp. congolana and ssp. ugandana are discussed under the diagnosis of the former taxon.

Genetic information. This taxon has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AEJ4468.Since only a single specimen was sequenced, the intraspecific divergence of the new taxon could not be calculated. The nearest neighbour of the Ugandan subspecies is A. longicornuta congolana diverging by a pairwise distance of 1.58–1.74%.

Etymology. The new subspecies is named after its country of origin.

Distribution ( Map 4 ). Afroracotis longicornuta ugandana is only known from two localities in Uganda: the Mabira Forest near Lake Victoria and from the shores of Lake Nkuruba.

Figures

MAP 4. Distribution of the Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) argillacea species-group.

FIGURES 61–80. Adults, dorsal view. 61. Afroracotis longicornuta sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 62. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Guinea (ANHRT); 63. A. l. congolana ssp. n., HT, ♁, Cameroon (RCMO); 64. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 65. Ibidem, PT, ♁, DRC (NHMUK); 66. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 67. A. l. ugandana ssp. n., HT, ♁, Uganda (RCHS); 68. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Uganda (RCHS); 69. A. aristophanousi sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 70. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 71. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Uganda (NHMUK); 72. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 73. A. muscivirens sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ZSM); 74. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Ivory Coast (ZSM); 75. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia (ANHRT); 76. A. turlini sp. n., HT, ♁, Rwanda (ZSM); 77. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Rwanda (ZSM); 78. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Rwanda (ZSM); 79. A. atriclava, ST of Cleora atriclava, ♁, Madagascar (NHMUK); 80. Ibidem, ♀, Madagascar (ZSM).

FIGURES 151–170. Adults, ventral view. 151. Afroracotis apodosima, ♁, Zambia (ANHRT); 152. Ibidem, ♀, Mozambique (ANHRT); 153. A. dargei sp. n., PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 154. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 155. A. deportata, ♁, Madagascar (RCHS); 156. Ibidem, ♀, Comoros (NHMUK); 157. A. argillacea argillacea, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 158. Ibidem, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 159. A. argillacea cedrici, HT of Racotis cedrici, ♀, Bioko (ZSM); 160. A. argillacea morettoi ssp. n., HT, ♁, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 161. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Ivory Coast (ANHRT); 162. A. longicornuta sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 163. Ibidem, PT, ♁, Guinea (ZSM); 164. A. l. congolana ssp. n., PT, ♁, Cameroon (ZSM); 165. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 166. A. l. ugandana ssp. n., PT, ♀, Uganda (RCHS); 167. A. aristophanousi sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ANHRT); 168. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Cameroon (ZSM); 169. A. muscivirens sp. n., HT, ♁, Liberia (ZSM); 170. Ibidem, PT, ♀, Liberia (ANHRT).

FIGURES 245–250. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 245. Afroracotis longicornuta congolana ssp. n., PT, DRC, slide No. NHMUK 010315179 (NHMUK); 246. A. l. ugandana ssp. n., HT, Uganda, slide No. LG 5529 (RCHS). 247. Ibidem, PT, Uganda, slide No. LG 5530 (RCHS); 248. A. aristophanousi sp. n., HT, Liberia, slide No. LG 5418 (ANHRT); 249. Ibidem, PT, Uganda, slide No. NHMUK 010315182 (NHMUK); 250. A. muscivirens sp. n., HT, Liberia, slide No. LG 4758 (ZSM).

FIGURES 306–313. Female genitalia. 306. Afroracotis apodosima, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 4767 (ZSM); 307. Ibidem, Mozambique, slide No.: LG 4826 (ANHRT); 308. A. dargei sp. n., PT, Cameroon, slide No.: LG 4771 (ZSM); 309. A. deportata, Madagascar, slide No.: LG 4082 (ANHRT); 310. A. argillacea cedrici, PT, Bioko, slide No.: HERB 7255 (ZSM); 311. A. a. morettoi ssp. n., PT, Ivory Coast, slide No.: LG 5417 (ANHRT); 312. A. longicornuta congolana ssp. n., PT, Cameroon, slide No.: LG 5044 (ZSM); 313. A. l. ugandana ssp. n., PT, Uganda, gen. slide No.: LG 5531 (RCHS).