Afroracotis (Herbuloracotis) atriclava (Prout, 1926) comb. n.

(Figs 79–80, 171–172, 252, 317)

Cleora atriclava Prout, 1926, Novitates Zoologicae 33: 183. Syntypes 14 males, 9 females (NHMUK). Type locality: Madagascar.

Type material examined

Syntype, male, red ring label “Type” / “Diego Suarez, 27 June 1917, (G. Melou).” / [with handwritten] “ Cleora atriclava ♁ type Prout”, QR code label with unique id.: NHMUK 010598637, gen. slide No.: Geometridae 4943 (NHMUK); Syntype, male, red label “ PARATYPE ” / “Diego Suarez, Madagascar, 17–26. August 1917 (G. Melou).” / [with handwritten] “ Cleora atriclava Prout ” / [blue label] “Photographed for the project “ Geometridae mundi ””, gen. slide No.: LG 5039; Syntype, female, red label “ PARATYPE ” / “Diego Suarez, Madagascar, 6. Sept. 1917. (G. Melou).” / [with handwritten] “ Cleora atriclava Prout ”, gen. slide No.: LG 5040 (ZSM).

Taxonomic note. In the original description, Prout (1926) suggested a possible relationship between atriclava and Racotis squalida, but assigned the species to the genus Cleora which was maintained by Scoble (1999). Based on the diagnostic genitalia characters discussed below, the species is transferred here to the genus Afroracotis and placed in the subgenus Herbuloracotis.

Diagnosis. Forewing length 16–17 mm. Afroracotis atriclava is the smallest species of the genus and easily distinguished from other Afroracotis by the brownish-grey colouration scattered densely with rusty scales, the conspicuous black, quadrangular postmedial patch of the forewing and the sharply defined, strongly undulate medial fascia of the forewing. The male genital morphology suggests its placement in the subgenus Herbuloracotis with the following diagnostis characters: A. atriclava has the widest, apically most broadly rounded uncus, the narrowest medial plate of gnathos, and the slimmest valva and vinculum compared to those of other taxa of the species-group. The tubular aedeagus of A. atriclava is medium long and relatively narrow, gently curved, the vesica is rather short and thick, cylindrical, bearing a large, robust, medially slightly dilated and arched, apically pointed, sword-shaped cornutus distally. The female genitalia of A. atriclava display certain unique features in the subgenus such as the well-sclerotised, deep cup-shaped antrum, the anteriorly strongly dilated, membranous, funnel-shaped ductus bursae, and the moderately sclerotised, longitudinally densely rugose, cylindrical cervix bursae forming the distal two-thirds of the bursa copulatrix. The anterior third of the bursa copulatrix is sclerotised without a rugose surface, strongly tapered subapically ending in a narrow, rounded, heavily sclerotised anterior protrusion supposedly serving as a receptive sheath of the large, sword-shaped cornutus during copulation.

Genetic information. As only rather old specimens could be accessed in the course of this study, DNA sequencing was not carried out.

Distribution (Map 4). Afroracotis atriclava is a species endemic to Madagascar.