Afroracotis (Afroracotis) squalida thomensis, 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 : 19-20

Afroracotis (Afroracotis) squalida thomensis ssp. n.

( Figs 15–17 , 135–136 , 217 , 293–294 )

Holotype. Male , „ SAO TOME, 1321m, Antenna, Bom Successo (plantation-dry scrub forest), 0°16’31”N, 6°36’14”E, 22–25.i.2018, Actinic Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Lima, D., Miles, W. & Turner, Clive R. leg., ANHRT:2018.1”, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00047799, gen. slide No.: LG 4931, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 112976/GWOUH060-21 ( ANHRT).

Paratypes. São Tomé. 2 females, Roca Bombaim (montane forest-plantation), 482m, 0°14’41.7”N, 6°37’59.8”E, 27–31.i.2018, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Miles, W. leg., ANHRT : 2018.1, unique ids:ANHRTUK 00042068, 00040562, gen. slide No. : LG 5447, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 112975/GWOUH059-21 ( ANHRT) ; 1 female, „25. 26. Sao Thome , 24.I.–25.II.26, T.A. Barns ”, QR code label with unique id.: NHMUK 014046332 , gen. slide No. : NHMUK 010316166 (prepared by László) ( NHMUK).

Taxonomic note. The latter female specimen housed in the NHMUK was referred to as R. squalida by Prout (1927).

Diagnosis. Forewing length 21–24 mm. Afroracotis squalida thomensis ssp. n. is considerably smaller in size and somewhat paler, with a more mossy-green tinge compared to the nominate subspecies. In the male genitalia, the valva of the new subspecies is somewhat narrower with more elongate costa reaching noticeably further over the membranous ventral part of the valva than in the nominotypical taxon. Compared to A. squalida squalida , the vesica of the new subspecies displays further distinctive features expressed by the much less extensive spinulose area of the distal section bearing only two robust cornuti of equal size, whereas the number of the cornuti varies between 5 and 10 in the nominate subspecies, largely varying in size. In the female genitalia, A. s. thomensis has a slightly longer ductus bursae, smaller semi-globular cervix bursae, and less elongate, slightly broader corpus bursae compared to those of its continental congener.

Genetic information. Afroracotis squalida thomensis is genetically nearly identical to the nominate subspecies, as well as to A. s. voeltzkowii with pairwise distances between 0.31–0.65% and 0.31%, respectively.

Etymology. The new subspecies of A. squalida is named after its type locality, the island of São Tomé.

Distribution ( Map 1 ). The new subspecies of A. squalida is endemic to São Tomé island.

Figures

MAP 1. Distribution of the Afroracotis (Afroracotis) squalida species-group.

FIGURES 1–20. Adults, dorsal view. 1. Racotis boarmiaria, LT, ♁, India (NHMUK); 2. Afroracotis squalida squalida, HT of Ophthalmodes squalida, ♀, Nigeria (NHMUK); 3. Ibidem, HT of Boarmia uhligi, ♀, Tanzania (MfN); 4. Ibidem, ♁, Cameroon (ANHRT); 5. Ibidem, ♁, Zambia (ANHRT); 6. Ibidem, ♁, Togo (ANHRT); 7. Ibidem, ♁, Gabon (ANHRT); 8. Ibidem, ♁, Ethiopia (RCDS); 9. Ibidem, ♀, Ethiopia (RCDS); 10. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (ANHRT); 11. A. s. voeltzkowii, LT of Boarmia voeltzkowii, ♁, Madagascar (MfN); 12. Ibidem, ♁, Comoros (ZSM); 13. Ibidem, ♁, Madagascar (NHMUK); 14. Ibidem, ♀, Madagascar (NHMUK); 15. A. s. thomensis ssp. n., HT, ♁, São Tomé (ANHRT); 16. Ibidem, PT, ♀, São Tomé (ANHRT); 17. Ibidem, ♀, PT, São Tomé (NHMUK); 18. A. incompletaria incompletaria, ♀, Réunion (ZSM); 19. A. i. atrilunaria, HT of Boarmia atrilunaria, ♀, Mauritius (NHMUK); 20. Ibidem, ♀, Mauritius (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 290–297. Female genitalia. 290. Afroracotis squalida squalida, Cameroon, slide No.: LG 4088 (NHMUK); 291. Ibidem, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 4068 (ANHRT); 292. A. s. voeltzkowii, Madagascar, slide No.: LG 4101 (NHMUK); 293. A. s. thomensis ssp. n., PT, São Tomé, slide No.: LG 5447 (ANHRT); 294. Ibidem, PT, São Tomé, slide No.: NHMUK 010316166 (NHMUK); 295. A. incompletaria incompletaria, Réunion, slide No.: LG 5048 (ZSM); 296. A. i. atrilunaria, Mauritius, slide No.: LG 4105 (NHMUK); 297. A. aliena sp. n., HT, Tanzania, slide No.: LG 4084 (ANHRT).