Josia neblina, Miller, James S, 2009

Miller, James S, 2009, Generic Revision Of The Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae) Part 2: Josiini, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (321), pp. 675-1022 : 823-825

Josia neblina , new species Figures 304 , 339F ; plate 33

DIAGNOSIS: Josia neblina could potentially be confused with Josia gigantea (Druce) . The two species are large— J. neblina has a FW length of 24.5 mm, at the upper range for J. gigantea (♀ FW length 5 22.5–24.5 mm)— and show similar wing coloration. However, a definitive body character can be used to separate them. The procoxa of J. neblina is dirty brownish gray on its anterior surface, with a few scattered white scales. In J. gigantea , on the other hand, the procoxa is bright orange-yellow. This trait in fact distinguishes J. neblina from all other members of the Ligata Group, which exhibit either orange-yellow or creamy white procoxae.

DESCRIPTION: Male. Unknown.

Female (pl. 33). Forewing length 5 24.5 mm. Head: Labial palpus porrect, extending anteriorly, Lp3 drooping slightly downward; Lp1 short, curving slightly upward, covered with a mixture of brown, orange-yellow and cream-colored scales, a loose, ridgelike fringe of long scales along ventral surface; Lp2 almost twice as long as Lp1, closely covered with dark brown scales, a few light orange scales near base below; Lp3 conical, prominent, dark brown; front completely covered with semierect, orange-yellow scales, swooping downward from antennal bases, then oriented horizontally, converging to form a short ridge of scales along midline; upper three-quarters of occiput with a band of erect, dark brown scales behind eye, a narrow band of orange scales posterior to that, lower fourth orange-yellow; eye moderately large, surrounded by a narrow scaleless band on anterior, dorsal and posterior margins, gena broadly scaleless; vertex covered with dark brown, semierect scales having a slight bluish iridescence, a pair of orange bands behind each antennal base; antenna ciliate, widened in basal two-thirds, narrowing in distal third; scape glossy dark brown; dorsum of antennal shaft covered with appressed, glossy dark brown scales.

Thorax: Procoxa dirty brownish gray on anterior surface, with a few scattered white scales; legs glossy chocolate brown, with a scattering of cream-colored scales along inner surfaces; dorsal half of pleuron covered with hairlike, orange-yellow scales, ventral half covered with shorter dark brown scales, these showing a strong blue iridescence; patagium covered with long, erect, glossy chocolate brown scales, these with a blue iridescence, wide, orange bands behind each eye; ventral third of tegula chocolate brown with blue iridescence, dorsal two-thirds covered with semierect orange-yellow scales, margins fringed with long, hairlike scales; dorsum chocolate brown to dark brown, with a bluish cast, creamy orange lateral bands in anterior third; tympanum extremely large and deep, kettledrum shaped; tympanal membrane large, ovoid, almost completely enclosed, oriented horizontally.

Forewing: (Dorsal) Ground color glossy blackish brown to dark gray-brown, with a faint purplish luster (pl. 33); a narrow, gently curving orange stripe from base to near outer margin; stripe straddling cubitus, fork of M 3 +CuA 1, and basal portion of M 3, with a tiny indentation on anterior margin where it crosses LDC; costa thinly lined with orange in basal third; venation typical of Josia , except M 1 and base of Rs 1 –Rs 4 fused for a short distance at dorsolateral angle of DC. (Ventral) Similar to dorsal surface, except ground color slightly lighter brown; stripe wider than on dorsal surface, indentation at LDC much more pronounced.

Hind wing: (Dorsal) Ground color glossy dark gray-brown (pl. 33), lighter gray-brown along anterior margin; a wide, orange-yellow stripe from base to immediately short of outer margin, slightly narrowed distally; stripe straddling cubitus and M 3, deeply indented as it crosses LDC; a diffuse brush of hairlike, dark brown scales near base; anal margin fringed with hairlike, orange-yellow to light orange-yellow scales. (Ventral) Similar to dorsal surface, except ground color slightly lighter brown; posterior margin of stripe indented where it crosses CuA 2 and CuA 1.

Abdomen: Dark chocolate brown with a bluish iridescence; a wide orange stripe along pleuron; venter with a narrow, creamy white stripe along midline.

Terminalia (fig. 339F): Tg7 large, twice as long as Tg6, much wider; anterior margin of Tg7 simple, posterior margin with a wide, deep, U-shaped mesal excavation; St7 longer than Tg7 but narrower, equal in width to St6; anterior margin of St7 with a small U-shaped mesal excavation, lateral margins slightly concave, posterior margin with a wide, deep, U-shaped mesal excavation; Tg8 completely membranous, apparently absent; AA relatively short, almost straight; PVP large, long and wide, its surface with a few transverse striae; PVP bearing a membranous sagittal seam, each half of plate roughly transverse along posterior margin; ostium wide, dorsoventrally compressed; DB long and narrow, longer than CB; DB roughly S-shaped, surface coriaceous, with a short longitudinal band of internal spines at base near ostium; CB membranous, an elongate oval, surface with long, evenly spaced rugae; signum comprising two elongate ovoid sclerites, divided by a membranous seam along midline; DS attached at junction of CB and DB; PA relatively small, membranous, posterior margin slightly excavated in dorsal third; PP long, thin, sinuate.

ETYMOLOGY: This species name is derived from the type locality, Cerro Neblina in Venezuela, the only place the moth has so far been collected.

DISTRIBUTION: Josia neblina was collected in cloud-forest habitat at 1800 meters on the slopes of Cerro Neblina, a tepui located in southernmost Venezuela, on its border with Brazil (fig. 304). This area was studied during the course of several joint expeditions with Venezuelan and U.S. research teams. Famous for its tabletop mountain and home to a unique flora and fauna, Cerro Neblina sits near the headwaters of the Orinoco, which drains into the Caribbean, as well as the Río Negro, which joins the Amazon at Manaus.

DISCUSSION: In this paper I have generally avoided describing new species known from an individual specimen. However, Josia neblina , for which only a single female has been collected, is described here to showcase the remarkable fauna of Cerro Neblina. Josia neblina appears to be the sister species to Josia gigantea , a cloud-forest endemic from Central America. In addition to traits listed in the keys and diagnosis (above), an easy way to distinguish the two is by the shape of the posterior margin of the PVP: this margin is broadly bilobed in J. gigantea , but is essentially transverse in J. neblina . Additional genital differences abound.

Tim McCabe, lepidopterist at the New York State Museum (Albany) and an intrepid collector, participated in the Neblina Expeditions to southern Venezuela, where the holotype of Josia neblina was captured. In his brief note to me characterizing the flora where J. neblina lives, was the following quote (September 2006): ‘‘ Cladonia rangiferina (reindeer moss) was an abundant close ground cover. The boggy areas also had two abundant heaths, Ledothamnus parviflorus and Leitgebia guianensis . A later group of scientists ate the ‘blueberries’ from these ‘heaths’ and became unconscious after a few minutes, but recovered with no ill effects’’. Say no more. Tim estimated that over 50 orchid species were in bloom at this site.

HOLOTYPE: Female (pl. 33). VENEZUELA: Amazonas: Cerro de la Neblina, Camp VII, 1800 m, 0 ° 51 9 N, 65 ° 58 9 W, 30 Jan–10 Feb 1985, Malaise trap in cloud forest ravine near stream, leg. P.M. & P.J. Spangler & R. A. Faitoute (genitalia slide no. JSM-498 ). The type is deposited at the USNM.

PARATYPES: None.

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED: None.

DISSECTED: Holotype.

Figures

Fig. 304. Known distributions of newly described South American Josiini: Josia neblina, Notascea brevispinula, Notascea loxa, Phintia broweri, Polyptychia hermieri, and Scea torrida.

Fig. 339. Genitalia of Josia. A, ³ of J. oribia (JSM-325); B, aedeagus of J. oribia; C, ♀ of J. oribia