Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) muscivirens 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 muscivirens

description: Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) muscivirens sp. n.   
(Figs 73–75, 169–170, 250–251, 318)  
 Holotype. Male, “ Liberia, Nimba, East Nimba NR, Cellcom RD Camp 1150m, 7.5287°N - 8.5275°W, 8.–10.XII.2013 leg. Sáfián Szabolcs ”, gen. slide No.: LG 4758 (ZSM).   
 Paratypes. Ivory Coast. 1 male, Yapo Sud, 22 km SSE Agboville, 12–18.iv.1969, C. Herbulot leg., gen. slide No.: LG 4617 (ZSM). Liberia. 2 females, Krahn-Bassa Reserve, Sinoe County, Juboe River, 7.5km South West Pellokon Town, 140m, 5°39’4”N, 8°39’4”W, 14–21.i.2018, Cold Cathode UV Bucket Light Trap, Geiser, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. leg., ANHRT:2017.33, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00089944, 00089785, gen. slide No.: LG 5430 (ANHRT).   
 Diagnosis. Forewing length 22–25 mm. Afroracotis muscivirens sp. n. is distinguished from the other members of the species-group by the yellowish-mossy colouration variegated by rather extensive, brownish patches and transverse fasciae. In the male genitalia, the clasping apparatus has the ground plan typical of the species-group, except for the vinculum, which is V-shaped, and apically pointed in the new species, whereas it is apically rounded in its congeners. The aedeagus of the new species is relatively short, tubular, evenly thick in its entire length. The vesica is very long, rugose, largely expandable, covered in fine, dense scobination, armed with a very heavily sclerotised, large, robust, basally broad, medially dilated and curved, distally gradually tapered, apically pointed cornutus with a strongly striate basal half. In the female genitalia, the species is distinguished from all other congeners by the very long, narrow ductus bursae which is membranous and conspicuously dilated in the posterior fifth, then abruptly tapered continuing in a gently S-shaped, proximally slightly dilated, heavily sclerotised anterior section. The cervix bursae of the new species is the least dilated in the species-group, with deep longitudinal striation. The corpus bursae possesses an extensive, rounded, strongly sclerotised plate supposedly serving as a receptive surface of the robust cornutus during copulation. The ovoid, membranous anterior part of the corpus bursae is the largest in the species-group.   
 Genetic information. The authors attempted to obtain DNA barcode of this species, however, the two sampled specimens failed to sequence.   
 Etymology. The specific name is an aggregate of the latin noun “ muscus ” meaning “ moss ” and the latin adjective “ virens ” meaning “ green ” referring to the species’ distinctive mossy-green facies.   
 Distribution (Map 4). Afroracotis muscivirens is known to date exlusively from the Guinea-Congolian lowland rainforest biotic zone, with confirmed records from Liberia and Ivory Coast.
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 page 46, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5308.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8080929