Josia insincera Prout, 1918

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 : 816

Josia insincera Prout Figure 337 ; plates 32, 39M [EX]

Josia insincera Prout, 1918: 423 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Venezuela, Cucutá. TYPE: Holotype ³ ( BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Three species form a subclade within the Ligula Group: Josia insincera , J. mononeura , and J. similis . All exhibit an olive-brown FW ground color, contrasting with a blackish-brown HW. The longitudinal stripes and HW anal margin are orange-yellow. Josia insincera is the smallest member of this group. The moth—relatively common in disturbed habitats of Venezuela where its host plant, Passiflora biflora , grows—has been reared on numerous occasions by L.D. Otero (Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida). Josia insincera has less frequently been collected in Colombia, in the northeastern portion of the country (Barranquilla) adjoining Venezuela. The reticulate color pattern of J. insincera caterpillars (pl. 39M) is typical for Josia . Adults and larvae were discussed and figured in Miller (1996).

DISTRIBUTION: Venezuela (AMNH, BMNH, CAS, IZA, LACM, MNHN, USNM, ZMH ); Colombia (BMNH, MNHN, ZMH) .

DISSECTED: ³, Venezuela, Mérida Prov. , 60 km NW Bocono along Bocono-Pampan Rd. , 1900 ft, 31 Mar 1992, leg. J.S. Miller, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-659 ) ; ³ Paratype , Venezuela, Cucuta , BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-298 ) ; ♀, Venezuela, Mérida Prov., Puente Victoria , 540 m, 1 May 1993, leg. L.D. Otero, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-660 ) ; ♀, Venezuela, Ciudad Bolivar, leg. S. Klages, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-299 ) .

Figures

Fig. 337. Genitalia of Josia insincera (³ JSM-298, ♀ JSM-299). A, ³ genitalia; B, aedeagus; C, ³ St8; D, ♀ genitalia; E, ³ Tg8 (illustration by A. Trabka).