Chorocotis, 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 : 75-76

Chorocotis gen. nov.

Type species: Boarmia ugandaria Swinhoe, 1904 by present designation

Diagnosis. Despite the similar external appearances of Chorocotis gen. n. and Afroracotis , several autapomorphic characters in the male genital morphology suggest their separation at genus level based on the following features: the uncus of the new genus bears an unusual, tongue-shaped dorsal lobe, a character which is absent in all Afroracotis and Racotis taxa. The presence of the saccular lobe and the dense, spinulose surface of the ventral half of the valva in Chorocotis also separate the genus from Afroracotis . In addition to this, the vesica of Chorocotis lacks a well-developed cornutus which is always present in Afroracotis (vestigial only in A. dargei ). The ground plan of the female genitalia is similar in Racotis , Afroracotis and Chorocotis , especially the fused cervix-corpus bursae complex refers to a closer relationship between the three genera. However, the well-developed postvaginal plate is only present in the latter genus and considered here as a generic autapomorphy.

Description

External features of body and wings ( Figs 121–124 , 207–208 ). Forewing length 23–27 mm. Male antenna bipectinate-fasciculate, rami moderately long, distal quarter filiform. Female antenna filiform. Head moderately large, proboscis well-developed, labial palp short, length ca. twice the diameter of eye, porrect, first and second segment dilated, first segment ca. twice as long as second, third segment thin, as long as second segment. Compound eye moderately large. Frons, vertex, collar (patagium), tegula, thorax and abdomen ochreous-brown with some mossy-green tinge. Legs rather long, colouration as of wing underside, index of spurs 0-2-4. Forewing broad, triangular, costa straight, apical section slightly arched, termen slightly arched, ventral margin straight. Ground colour ochreous-brown speckled densely with dark brown, subterminal area with a series of dark brown blotches. Transverse lines pale creamy- or off-white. Basal line very narrow, poorly visible; antemedial line relatively broad, straight, running in 45° angle to ventral margin. Medial line rather broad, slightly arched, often marbled with very thin dark brown vertical streaks. Postmedial line slightly wavy, diffuse, often poorly visible, speckled with brownish dots. Subterminal line undulate, very narrow, accompanied by rounded blotches in arches anteriorly. Terminal line narrow, black, somewhat dilated at veins. Fringe (cilia) short, inner half cream, outer half dark brown interrupted by short cream sections. Discal spot large ovoid, perimeter black, inner area dark brown. Hindwing apex rounded, termen medially slightly produced, scalloped, anal margin straight. Ground colour as that of forewing, densely speckled with brown or red-brown; basal and antemedial lines deleted. Medial line broad, cream, speckled with fine dark brown dots, often accompanied with a row of small, brown quadrangular patches. Postmedial line undetectable, postmedial area pale brown or cream, often marbled. Subterminal line narrow, cream, sharply defined, bordered by blackish area both side, medially angled, otherwise almost straight. Subterminal area blackish, except for creamy-orange medial section. Terminal line blackish, interrupted, anteriorly arched between veins. Fringe short with thin, cream inner part and wider dark brown outer part interrupted with narrow creamy secions at veins. Discal spot half as large as that of forewing, uniformly black. Wing underside pale creamy-orange densely speckled with brown in basal two-thirds, dark brown in outher third; terminal area with two cream blotches apically and medially on fore-, and subapically and medially on hindwing. Transverse lines detectable, discal spots well-defined. Intraspecific variability expressed in variable tone of ground colour. Sexual dimorphism limited, transverse lines more contrasting in females than in males.

Male genitalia ( Figs 285–287 ). Uncus short, moderately broad, apically rounded, with a short, broad, tongue-shaped dorsal lobe. Tegumen short and broad, gnathos well-developed, medially with a short, rounded quadrangular plate. Valva short, relatively narrow, distally somewhat tapered, dorsal margin sclerotised, sparsely setose, distally produced into a short, rounded apical projection, outreaching the membranous ventro-distal part of valva. Transtilla well-developed, short, medially unfused. Ventral margin of valva slightly concave in basal third, gently undulate in distal two-thirds; ventral half of valva densely covered in fine, acute spinules. Sacculus short and narrow, moderately sclerotised, with a short, rounded triangular process of variable length. Juxta weakly sclerotised, short shield-like without arms. Vinculum short, broad, apically rounded. Aedeagus rather thick, very short, straight, without carina, coecum penis short, rounded, tongue-shaped.Vesica very thick and short, basally with a short sack-like diverticulum, medially inflated with short finely scobinate areas subbasally and postmedially; cornutus absent.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 339 ). Ovipositor medium long, papilla analis narrow quadrangular, apically rounded, sparsely setose, apophysis posterioris long. Eighth tergite medium long, trapezoidal, distal margin straight, proximal margin slightly notched medially, anterior apophysis approx. half as long as posterior apophysis. Postvaginal plate well-developed, with two short and narrow postero-lateral arms and a rounded-triangular medial protrusion. Ostium bursae broad, circular, weakly sclerotised, membranous, antrum moderately sclerotised, short, cylindrical. Ductus bursae membranous, very short and narrow. Cervix bursae well-developed, moderately sclerotised with rugose surface, protruding postero-laterally from the distal cylindrical section of corpus bursae. Corpus bursae elongate with longitudinally slightly striate cylindrical distal section and a somewhat dilated, ovoidal proximal section; signum absent.

Figures

FIGURES 121–130. Adults, dorsal view. 121. Chorocotis ugandaria, HT of Boarmia ugandaria, ♁, Uganda (NHMUK); 122. Ibidem, ♁, Gabon (ANHRT); 123. Ibidem, ♁, Zambia (ANHRT); 124. Ibidem, ♀, Cameroon (NHMUK); 125. Colocleora breijeri, PT of Boarmia breijeri ♁, RSA (NHMUK); 126. Ibidem, ♁, RSA (RCDS); 127. Ibidem, ♁, Mozambique (ANHRT); 128. Ibidem, ♁, RSA (ANHRT); 129. Colocleora incauta, ♁, RSA (NHMUK); 130. Ibidem, ♁, Zimbabwe (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 285–289. Male genitalia, a: clasping apparatus, b: aedeagus. 285. Chorocotis ugandaria, Rwanda, slide No. LG 4791 (ZSM); 286. Ibidem, Gabon, slide No. LG 5214 (ANHRT); 287. Ibidem, Zambia, slide No. LG 5450 (ANHRT); 288. Colocleora breijeri, Mozambique, slide No. LG 4319 (ANHRT); 289. C. incauta, RSA, slide No. NHMUK Geom. 4998 (NHMUK).

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).