Josia turgida Warren, 1905

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 : 828-829

Josia turgida Warren Figure 343 ; plate 33

Josia turgida Warren, 1905: 314 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Venezuela, Valencia. TYPE: Syntype ³ ( BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Josia turgida , at one time considered a form of J. aurifusa ( Warren, 1905) , was elevated to species status by Miller and Otero (1994), who found differences in female genitalia and larval coloring between the two. In retrospect, those differences seem so subtle that perhaps a single species ( J. aurifusa ) should again be recognized. The Aurifusa Group presents a strong candidate for DNA analyses, which might help in elucidating species boundaries throughout the clade.

Larvae of J. turgida were reared in Venezuela on the same two hosts utilized by J. aurifusa — Passiflora capsularis and P. rubra (table 6). A single specimen at the NMW, formerly in the Möschler Collection, was captured in Colombia in 1876.

DISTRIBUTION: Venezuela (AMNH, BMNH, IZA, OUMNH, USNM ); Colombia (NMW) .

DISSECTED: Syntype ³ (genitalia slide no. JSM-645 ) ; ³, Venezuela, Barinas, Carr. vía Altamira , 650 m, 28 Jun 1992, leg. L.D. Otero, reared ex Passiflora capsularis, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-596 ) ; ³, Venezuela, Aragua, Rancho Grande near Maracay , 9 Sep 1946, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-601 ) ; ³, Venezuela, Puerto-Cabello, San Estevan , 6–7 1877, leg. Hahnel de Sagan, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-335 ) ; ♀, Venezuela, Barinas, Carr. vía Altamira , 650 m, 28 Jun 1992, leg. L.D. Otero, reared ex Passiflora capsularis, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-597 ) ; ♀, Venezuela, Guacamaya , IZA (genitalia slide no. JSM-602 ) ; ♀, Venezuela, San Esteban , Jun 1909, leg. S.M. Klages, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-336 ) .

4. MEGAERA GROUP

The Megaera Group contains two described species, one from Central America and one from South America (pl. 33), but additional undescribed taxa exist. In addition to showing an unusual wing pattern, this group is united by the following traits from genitalia (figs. 344, 345): costa of valva simple, forming a blunt process at apex; vesica long and wide, bearing extremely large, spinelike cornuti; male Tg8 approximately equal in width to St8, gradually tapered distally; DB moderately long, with a band of coarse internal spines; a large, concave, transverse sclerite near middle of CB; signum relatively small, almost round.

KEY TO MEGAERA GROUP SPECIES Plate 33

1. Longitudinal FW stripe short, barely bent toward anal margin; vertex dark gray in central portion with narrow, orange-yellow lateral margins; male Lp3 elongate, over one-half as long as Lp2; costa of valva becoming gradually wider toward apex (fig. 345A);

vesica with a small patch of dentate cornuti at base, two robust, curved, spinelike cornuti distally (fig. 345C); DB elongate (fig. 345E); CB with a long, narrow spinose sclerite at base; FW length 5 12.0–13.5 mm ( French Guiana and Venezuela S to Brazil and Bolivia)........... megaera (Fabricius)

– Longitudinal FW stripe elongate, bent strongly toward anal margin; vertex orange-yellow, with a small patch of dark gray scales anteriorly; male Lp3 short, one-third as long as Lp2; costa the same width for its entire length (fig. 344A); vesica with short, spinelike cornuti at base, a set of large straight, spinelike cornuti distally (fig. 344D); DB short (fig. 344C); CB with a short, folded spinose sclerite at base; FW length 5 13.0– 15.5 mm ( Honduras N to southern Mexico)................... integra Walker

SPECIES INCLUDED AND MATERIAL EXAMINED

Figures

Fig. 343. Genitalia of Josia turgida (³ JSM-597, ♀ JSM-601). A, ³ genitalia; B, ³ Tg8; C, aedeagus; D, ³ St8; E, ♀ genitalia (illustration by A. Trabka).