Afroracotis (Zebracotis) lydiae subsp. orientalis László & Hausmann & Karisch 2023, ssp. 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
Afroracotis lydiae
Afroracotis (zebracotis) lydiae orientalis

description: Afroracotis (Zebracotis) lydiae orientalis ssp. n.   
(Figs 93–96, 184–185, 263–265, 328–329)  
 Holotype. Male, Tanzania, 1100m, Tegetero, Uluguru Mountains, S 06°55’03”, E37°43’16”, 30.IV.–1.V.11, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H. ”, ANHRT:2017.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00073433, gen. slide No.: LG 4172, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109635/GWOUE424-20 (ANHRT).   
 Paratypes. Malawi. 1 male, Mkuwazi Forest, Nkhata Bay District, 500m, 11°41’S, 34°15.5’E, 20–21.v.2013, leg. R.J. Murphy (RCHS). Mozambique. 3 males, 9 females, Sofala Province, Gorongosa N.P., Mt Gorongosa SE slope, (Riverine Forest / Grassland), 937m, 18°28’58.9”S, 34°02’40.6”E, 8–9.viii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT: 2018.30, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00075736, 00075931, 00075953, 00075954, 00075957, 00075958, 00077818, 00077820, 00078009, 00078019, 00078105, 00078909, gen. slide Nos: LG 4932, LG 4956 (males), LG 4955, LG 4957, LG 4958 (females), DNA barcode/BOLD process ids: BC ZSM Lep 109642/GWOUE431-20, BC ZSM Lep 109643/GWOUE432-20, BC ZSM Lep 109644/GWOUE433- 20; 1 male, 1 female, Manica Province, Chimanimani National Reserve, Moribane Forest, Ndzou Camp, (Moist Forest), 630m, 19°44’01.4”S, 33°20’15.1”E, 3–5.viii.2018, Actinic Light Trap, László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT: 2018.30, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00046885, 00094133, gen. slide Nos: LG 4828 (female), LG 4993 (male), DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109611/GWOUE400-20; 1 female, Maputo Special Reserve, Ponta Milibangalala, Dune Grassland, 15m, 26°26’58.6”S, 32°55’29.8”E, 25–30.v.2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., László, G., Miles, W., Vetina, A. leg., ANHRT: 2017.26, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00008846, gen. slide No.: LG 5010 (ANHRT); 1 female, 15 km NE of Beira, 15–16.iv.1996, N.J. Duke, unique id.: NHMUK010402130, gen. slide No.: LG 4104 (NHMUK); 1 male, Mecula Mt., Niassa NP, 12°04.630’S, 27°38.007’E, 5–11.v.2012, JB, MH, CC, SC ABRI leg. (RCHS). Rwanda. 1 male, Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Burundi road, 02°32’16”S, 29°14’27”E, 1900m, 21.vi.2009, leg. H.S. Staude, gen. slide No.: LG 5536 (RCHS). Tanzania. 1 male, 2 females, with the same data as in the holotype, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00194619–00194621; 3 females, same site, but collected at 30.vi.– 3.vii.2010, ANHRT: 2017.1, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00073436, 00194622, 00194623, gen. slide No.: LG 4081, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109638/GWOUE427-20; 2 males, Masalawe, Uluguru Mountains, 1261m, 06°55’34.4”S, 37°42’18.7”E, 2–4.v.2011, Light trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT: 2017.3, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00073434, 00194624, gen. slide Nos: LG 4063, LG 4080, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 109636/GWOUE425-20; 1 male, Nambiga Forest, Ulanga, 348m, 08°34’53.1”S, 36°29’20.7”E, 28.iv.2011, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT:2017.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00194625, gen. slide No.: LG 4171; 1 male, Mahenge Scarp Forest, 562m, 08°37’10.6”S, 36°42’46.3”E, 24.iv.2011, Light Trap, leg. Smith, R. & Takano, H., ANHRT:2017.3, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00194626; 1 female, Njia Panda, Mwanihana, Udzungwa Mountains N.P., 970m, 07°47’27.7”S, 36°49’33.7”E, 27–30.xi.2010 Light Trap leg. Smith, R & Takano, H., ANHRT: 2017.2, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00194627, gen. slide No.: LG 4173 (ANHRT). 1 female, Nachingwea, April 1961, W. Bigger, unique id.: NHMUK010402124, gen. slide No.: LG 4098; 1 female, Amani Malaria Institute, G. Pringle coll., 11/1962, unique id.: NHMUK010402125, gen. slide No.: LG 4099 (NHMUK); 1 male, Mts Uluguru, Morning Side, Toelo for. Alt. 1450m, 21–29.vi.1971, Mission Mts Uluguru, L. Berger, N. Leleup, J. Debecker, V/ VIII/71 (RMCA). Zimbabwe. 1 male, Rusitu Forest, 4–6.v.1997, leg. N.J. Duke; 1 female, Chirinda Forest, Mt. Selinda, 13–15.v.1997, leg. N.J. Duke (RCHS).   
 Diagnosis. Forewing length 19–23 mm. The East African subspecies of A. lydiae can be distinguished externally from the nominotypical subspecies by its somewhat lighter brown, more pale greyish and often slightly rusty colouration and the smaller, more elongate postmedial patches of the wings. The configuration of the male genitalia of the two taxa does not display any noticeable differences. In the female genitalia, spp. orientalis displays a somewhat shorter antrum and a more elongate posterior part of the cervix/corpus bursae complex.   
 Genetic information. Afroracotis lydiae orientalis is assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AAF9530, incongruently BIN—sharing with the A. zebrina-chaineyi-smithi-milesi species-complex.The infraspecific divergence of orientalis is 0.00–0.17%. The pairwise distance between the two subspecies of A. lydiae is in the range of 2.57–3.08%.   
 Etymology. The subspecific name of the new taxon refers to its East African distribution.   
 Distribution (Map 5). The East African subspecies of A. lydiae is confined to areas east of the Albertine Rift with confirmed records from Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
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 62-63, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5308.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8080929