Josia aurifusa Walker Plate, 1854

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 : 827

Josia aurifusa Walker Plate 33

Josia aurifusa Walker, 1854: 293 .

TYPE LOCALITY: ‘‘Venezuela’’.

TYPE: Syntype ³ ( BMNH).

Josia conifera Warren, 1905: 315 .

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

Josia glycera Druce, 1885b: 527 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Colombia, Manaure (Simons) .

TYPE: Holotype ³ ( BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Previous authors have treat- ed J. aurifusa as a single species showing considerable wing-pattern variation. This variation is encompassed by the three forms listed in Bryk (1930), each with slightly different amounts of orange and black in the HW. One of those forms, turgida Warren , was raised to full species status by Miller and Otero (1994). The status of the remaining two— conifera Warren and glycera Druce — remains unresolved.

According to the simplified species concept employed in this paper, J. aurifusa exhibits a large amount of black in the HW, extending along the anterior margin from the apex to the wing base. Josia turgida , on the other hand, shows a mostly orange HW, with the black area near the apex terminating well before the wing base. However, difficulties in identifying material of intermediate wing pattern suggest that the original authors were perhaps correct; a single variable species may be involved. Genitalia provide little help, presenting a range of subtle variation. The type localities for J. aurifusa and J. turgida are both in Venezuela.

My knowledge of this taxon from Colombia is based solely on the type of J. glycera , supposedly a synonym of J. aurifusa . I have not studied the glycera type, and cannot vouch for its status. Of the hundreds of J. aurifusa specimens seen, all the others are from Venezuela.

Like J. turgida , J. aurifusa has been reared on two closely related species of Passiflora — P. capsularis and P. rubra (table 6).

DISTRIBUTION: Venezuela (AMNH, BMNH, CMNH, CUIC, FNHM, IZA, LACM, OUMNM, USNM ); Colombia (BMNH, OUMNH) .

DISSECTED: ³, Venezuela, Mérida, Puente La Victoria, 540 m, 24 Jan 1993, leg. L.D. Otero, reared ex Passiflora capsularis, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-655); ³, Venezuela, Aragua, Rancho Grande near Maracay, 30 Jul 1948, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-598); ³, Venezuela, Distr. Federal, Puerto la Cruz, leg. E. Holt, CMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-337); ³, Venezuela, Las Quiguas, San Esteban Valley, leg. S.M. Klages, USNM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1369); ³, Venezuela, Tachira, Chorro del Indio, 1800 m, 18 Aug 1982, leg. A. Chacon & R. Granea, IZA (genitalia slide no. JSM-603); ♀, Venezuela, Mérida, Puente La Victoria, 540 m, 24 Jan 1993, leg. L.D. Otero, reared ex Passiflora capsularis, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-656); ♀, Venezuela, Aragua, PNH Pittier, Rancho Grande, 1100 m, 22 Mar 1992, leg. L.J. Toma, reared ex Passiflora rubra, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-600); ♀, Venezuela, Aragua, Rancho Grande near Maracay, 30 Jul 1948, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-599); ♀, Venezuela, Las Quiguas, San Esteban Valley, leg. S.M. Klages, USNM (genitalia slide no. JSM-1370); ♀, [no data], BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-338).