Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) argillacea subsp. morettoi 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 argillacea
Afroracotis (herbuloracotis) argillacea morettoi

description: Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) argillacea morettoi ssp. n.   
(Figs 58–60, 160–161, 240, 311)  
 Holotype. Male, “ IVORY COAST 39–48m, Abidjan, Banco Forest (Parc-National du Banco), 05°23’03.8”N, 04°03’11.2”W, 21–30.iv.2017, MV Light Trap, Aristophanous, A., Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P. Leg., ANHRT:2017.25.”, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00086258, gen. slide No.: LG 5416, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00086258/ANLMN3665-21 (ANHRT).   
 Paratypes. Ivory Coast. 1 female, with the same data as in the holotype, unique id.: ANHRTUK 00086233, gen. slide No.: LG 5417, DNA barcode/BOLD process id.: ANHRTUK00086233/ANLMN3666-21; 1 male, 1 female, Banco National Park, 40m, 05°23’3.8”N, 04°03’11.2”W, 29.xi.–5.xii.2019, Actinic and LepiLED Light Trap, Aristophanous, M., Dérozier, V., Moretto, P., Ouattara, S. Leg., ANHRT: 2019.23, unique ids: ANHRTUK 00181351, 00181933, gen. slide No.: LG 5909 (male) (ANHRT); 1 female, Lamto, 36 km NNW Tiessalé, 20– 23.iv.1969, C. Herbulot leg., gen. slide No.: HERB 7256 (ZSM); 1 female, Côte d’Ivoire 15.x.1993, Forêt classée Bossématié Near Dam 3°30’W, 6°30’N, gen. slide No.: LG 5846; 1 female, Forêt classée Bossematié, 04.x.1996 Layon 21 Nord, leg. Ugo Dall’Asta, gen. slide No.: LG 5850 (RMCA).   
 Diagnosis. Forewing length 20–23 mm. The new West African subspecies of A. argillacea is distinguished from the nominotypical subspecies by its somewhat smaller size: the males have a wingspan of 20–21 mm in ssp. morettoi ssp. n., while it is 23–25 mm in ssp. argillacea. The postmedial patch of the forewing is markedly smaller and paler in the new subspecies than in the nominate taxon. There has not been any constant distinctive character observed in the male genitalia of the two subspecies. As the female of the nominate subspecies is unknown, the female genitalia of the two taxa could not be compared. The distinctive characters between A. a. cedrici and A. a. morettoi are discussed under the diagnosis of the former taxon.   
 Genetic information. Afroracotis argillacea morettoi has been assigned the BIN URI: BOLD:AAQ2189. The intraspecific variability is 0.00%. The nearest neighbour of the new taxon is the nominate subspecies of A. argillacea differing by 1.39–1.54%.   
 Etymology. The new subspecies is dedicated to Philippe Moretto, Scarabaeinae specialist, renowned researcher of the insect fauna of Cote d’Ivoire and one of the collectors of the new taxon.   
 Distribution (Map 4). The new subspecies of A. argillacea was recorded west of the Dahomey Gap only, with confirmed records from coastal lowland rainforest fragments around Abidjan, 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 41, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5308.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8080929