Josia ligata, Walker Plate, 1864

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 : 819-820

KEY TO LIGATA GROUP SPECIES

1. Forewing vein M 1 long stalked with base of Rs 1 –Rs 4 ........................ 3

– FW vein M 1 and Rs 1 –Rs 4 stalked for an extremely short distance............. 2

2. Procoxae orange-yellow; female FW length 5 17.0–18.5 mm (northern Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador)............ ligata Walker

– Procoxae dirty brownish gray, with a few creamy scales; female FW length 5 24.5 mm (southern Venezuela)..... neblina , sp. nov.

3. Forewing vein M 1 arising from radial sector basal to Rs 1; Rs 2 –Rs 4 in the arrangement [2+3]+4 ......................... 4

– FW vein M 1 arising from radial sector distal to Rs 1; Rs 2 –Rs 4 in the arrangement 2+[3+4] ( Panama N to Mexico)..... frigida Druce

4. Male valva with a thin, greatly elongate, hook-shaped process at apex......... 6

– Valva with a short process at apex..... 5

5. Forewing and HW stripes narrow, orange to orange-yellow; cornuti in a wide band along dorsum of vesica, a small distal group below; female DB with two bends between ostium and CB; FW length 5 22.5–24.5 mm ( Panama N to southern Mexico)... gigantea (Druce)

– FW and HW stripes wide, light orange to lemon yellow; cornuti arranged in a spiral around vesica; female DB with four bends between ostium and CB; FW length 5 18.5– 22.0 mm ( Nicaragua and Honduras N to Mexico).............. fusigera Walker

6. Ground color steely blackish gray; vesica with a gently spiraling band of short cornuti along dorsum, and a small patch of delicate cornuti near base; FW length 5 14.5– 16.0 mm ( Colombia S to Peru).............................. fustula Warren

– Ground color dark chocolate brown; cornuti in two groups, an elongate group of short, ventral spines near base, and a distal one comprising 3–6 robust cornuti on dorsum; FW length 5 16.0–19.0 mm ( Venezuela, Colombia)............ radians Warren