Afroracotis (Afroracotis) László & Hausmann & Karisch 2023, subgen. n.
Creators: name: László, Gyula M.
name: Hausmann, Axel
name: Karisch, Timm
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Afroracotis

description: Afroracotis subgen. n.   
 Type species: Ophthalmodes squalida Butler, 1878 by present designation.   
 Genetic analyses (Text fig. 1). The subgenus was recovered in both the ML as well as BI analyses with strong support (BS: 55; PP: 97), as sister to Zebracotis subgen. n. and is divided into two clusters forming the A. squalida and A. angulosa species-groups (BS: 96; PP: 100). The former species-group has a well-supported sister group comprising A. incompletaria (Guenée, 1862) and A. aliena sp. n. (BS: 51; PP: 98). It is worth noting, however, that the taxonomic position of this lineage is fairly uncertain as no male specimens of each species have been traced during this study, thus the morphology of the male genitalia remained unknown. Nevertheless, the incompletariaaliena clade is treated here tentatively as part of the A. squalida species-group.   
 Diagnosis. The nominate subgenus of Afroracotis is distinguished from all but one subgenera of the genus by the short, bifid uncus of the male genitalia, which is more elongate and pointed in the other subgenera. The only other subgenus possessing a similarly short, bifid uncus is Sokokeracotis subgen. n., but this taxon has a heavily sclerotised medial crest of the valva, a character which is absent in the subgenus Afroracotis.   
 Description   
 External features of body and wings (Figs 1–40, 131–150). Forewing length 19.5–30 mm. Male antenna bipectinate-fasciculate, rami short or moderately long (in A. albitrigonis), distal section filiform, length of which varying interspecifically between one-sixth (in A. albitrigonis) and two-fifth. Female antenna filiform. Head moderately large, proboscis well-developed, labial palp short, length 1.2 (in A. albitrigonis) to 2.5 (in A. squalida female) times the diameter of eye, porrect, first and second segment dilated, third segment rather short and thin, except for the A. squalida females, where last segment nearly as long as second one. Compound eye moderately large. Frons, vertex, collar (patagium), tegula, thorax and abdomen mossy-green speckled with darker brownish-grey, except for those of A. albitrigonis being dark grey scattered with whitish scales combined with unicolourously dark grey body. Forewing broad, triangular, costa straight, apical section slightly arched, termen straight to slightly arched, ventral margin straight. Ground colour greyish mossy-green speckled densely with dark brown, except for A. albitrigonis with dark grey ground colour of wings scattered with pale grey or whitish patches. Transverse lines diffuse, interrupted. Basal and antemedial line broad, more or less straight, medial line shadow-like, moderately S-curved, postmedial line slightly wavy, interrupted, accompanied distally by often diffuse rounded blotches. Subterminal line represented by a row of rounded patches mainly in subapical and tornal areas, terminal line interrupted, consisting of short dashes or arches between veins. Fringe (cilia) short, colour as that of forewing. Discal spot well-developed, large ovoid except for A. albitrigonis having small, round discal spot. Hindwing apex rounded, termen evenly arcuate (A. squalida species-group), or medially angled (A. angulosa species-group) and moderately scalloped (A. albitrigonis), anal margin straight. Ground colour as that of forewing, densely speckled, basal line diffuse, evenly arched (A. squalida species-group), sharply angled medially (A. angulosa species-group), deleted in A. albitrigonis, medial line strongly undulate, often accompanied by dark blotches medially. Postmedial line diffuse, interrupted, terminal line interrupted, consisting of short black dashes or arches between veins. Discal spot as on forewing. Fringe (cilia) short, colour as that of hindwing. Wing underside with broad, sharply divided dark grey terminal area with several off-white patches apically and medially. Basal and medial area considerably paler than terminal one, densely suffused with greyish scales, except for A. albitrigonis where the terminal area only slightly darker than medial area without paler patches. Traces of transverse lines undetectable, discal spot and postmedial patches well-defined.   
 Male genitalia (Figs 212–231). Uncus short, relatively stout, bifid with short, pointed apical projections. Tegumen short and broad, gnathos well-developed, medially with a rounded plate. Valva short, broad at base, distally tapered, costal margin sclerotised, setose, distally with an apical projection intraspecifically variable in length, outreaching the membranous ventro-distal part of valva. Ventral margin of valva moderately curved, medially concave in A. squalida species-group, more or less straight or slightly convex in A. angulosa complex. Sacculus short and broad, weakly sclerotised, without process. Juxta weakly sclerotised, shield-like without arms, elongate, medially constricted in A. squalida species-group, short, rounded in A. angulosa lineage. Vinculum short and broad, V-shaped, apically rounded. Aedeagus rather thick, short to medium long, straight, without carina. Vesica thick, moderately long, armed distally with a group of robust, acute cornuti in A. squalida species-group, with a single large, stout cornutus in A. angulosa lineage, may bear additional cornuti field (some taxon in A. angulosa complex) and well-developed diverticula (A. squalida group).   
 Female genitalia (Figs 290–305). Ovipositor medium long, papilla analis narrow triangular, apically rounded, sparsely setose, apophysis posterioris moderately long. Eighth tergite medium long, quadrangular or trapezoidal, distal margin more or less straight, proximal one often undulate, apophysis anterioris shorter than apophysis posterioris. Ostium bursae broad, membranous, antrum moderately sclerotised in the lateral margins, short, funnel-shaped. Ductus bursae membranous, short and narrow. Cervix bursae well-developed, heavily sclerotised, forming a distinct rounded bulge of ductus bursae at conjunction to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae elongate in A. squalida complex, small and round in A. angulosa group; signum absent.   
  Key to the species-groups of the subgenus Afroracotis based on male genitalia characters    
 1. Vesica with diverticula, and a cluster of straight distal cornuti.................................... A. squalida sp.-gr.   
 -. Vesica without diverticula, with a single, large distal cornutus.................................... A. angulosa sp.-gr.
description: Published as part of 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), pp. 1-109 in Zootaxa 5308 (1) on pages 11-13, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5308.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8080929