Afroracotis (Zebracotis) ochsei László & Hausmann & Karisch 2023, sp. 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 ochsei

description: Afroracotis (Zebracotis) ochsei sp. n.   
(Figs 109–112, 195–197, 275–277, 335)  
 Holotype. Male, “ GABON, 10m, Nyonie (Lowland Forest), 0°2’22”S, 9°20’25”E, 23–28.viii.2019, MV Light Trap, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT:2019.17”, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00137561, gen. slide No.: LG 5406 (ANHRT).   
 Paratypes. Cameroon. 2 males, Mt Cameroon (SW slope), Planty camp, 4.117500°N, 9.070944°E, 1100m asl, 12–14.iv.2015, leg. V. Maicher, Sz. Sáfián, S. Janecek, R. Tropek, gen. slide Nos.: LG 4413, LG 4734, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 96970/GWOTU254-17; 1 male, same data, but collected at 9–14.iv.2015, gen. slide No.: LG 4718; 1 male, 1 female, Massif du Manengouba, 6 km NO de Nkongsamba, 1400m, 3.iv.1970, C. Herbulot & C. Lemaire leg. (ZSM); 1 male, Mount Cameroon, Bonenza, 9°5.6’E, 4°4.9’N, 21.i.1989, Primary forest 10m above Dr Edwards’ forest plot, gen. slide No.: LG 5866 (RMCA). Gabon. 8 males, 5 females, with the same data as in the holotype, but collected at MV, LepiLED and Actinic Light Trap, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00137558–00137560, 00162893, 00172363 (dissected), 00172375 (dissected), 00172381 (dissected), 00172779 (dissected), 00172862 (dissected), 00172947, 00173017 (dissected), 00214198, 00215783, gen. slide Nos: LG 5401, LG 5414, LG 5419, LG 5620 (males), LG 5623, LG 5793 (females), DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: BC ZSM Lep 112987/GWOUH071-21; 4 males, 1 female, Mikongo (Rougier), Monts de Cristal (Secondary Forest), 430m, 0°29’47”N, 11°10’42”E, 28.vii.–12.viii.2019, MV and LepiLED Light Trap, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P. leg., ANHRT: 2019.17, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00129946, 00131023, 00131146, 00131925, 00137695 (all dissected), gen. slide No.: LG 5421 (male) (ANHRT).   
 Diagnosis. Forewing length 20–21.5 mm. Afroracotis ochsei sp. n. and its sympatric congeners A. milesi and A. helicalis sp. n. have confusingly similar and, at the same time, variable external habitus, although the configuration of their vesica shows highly distinctive traits allowing an unambiguous identification. The main chamber of the vesica of A. ochsei is conspicuously long and inflated along its entire length, without a diverticulum, which is present in A. milesi; all three species have a small group of curved, thick cornuti of variable length and number situated distally at the base of the vesica ejaculatorius. The new species is clearly distinguished from A. helicalis, also due to the vesica configuration as the latter species has a characteristically coiled vesica. The distinctive features of the female genitalia of the three species are discussed under the diagnosis of A. milesi.   
 Genetic information. In accordance with the diagnostic morphology, A. ochsei sp. n. has been assigned a distinct BIN URI: BOLD:AAL8682 with its nearest neighbour being A. takanoi sp. n. (BIN URI: BOLD:AEE7886) with a pairwise distance of 1.69–2.04%. The species is genetically uniform with 0.00% intraspecific variability based on three sequenced specimens.   
 Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Michael Ochse, eminent German Lepidopterist, acknowledging his important contribution to this revision through providing specimens from his research collection for DNA barcoding and morphological investigation.   
 Distribution (Map 6). Afroracotis ochsei seems to be confined to the Congolian lowland rainforest with confirmed records from Cameroon and Gabon only.
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 68-69, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5308.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8080929