Josia fustula Warren, 1901

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 : 821-822

Josia fustula Warren Figure 336A, 336B ; plate 32

Josia fustula Warren, 1901: 441 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Ecuador, Chimbo, 1000 ft.

TYPE: Holotype ♀, leg. Rosenberg, Aug 1897 ( BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Josia fustula is similar in size and wing pattern to Josia frigida , from Central America. However, the FW ground color of J. fustula is dark gray-black and the HW ground color is blackish brown, whereas in J. frigida both wings are black. The male genitalia of the two species are similar, but differ in that the hook at the valva apex is larger in J. fustula . Furthermore, the aedeagus is thinner and straighter. The arrangement of FW radials provides a clear-cut means for separating the two species (see Discussion of frigida , above).

Josia fustula can be observed in large numbers, flying during the day at Tinalandia, Ecuador. There, I discovered the larvae feeding on Passiflora rubra (March 2006). Although their identity has not been verified by genital dissection, specimens collected in Peru and Colombia (AMNH, MUSM) are here provisionally regarded as being examples of J. fustula .

DISTRIBUTION: Ecuador (AMNH, BMNH, CMNH, LACM, USNM); Colombia (AMNH) ; Peru (AMNH, MUSM).

DISSECTED: Holotype ♀ (genitalia slide no. JSM-644 ); ³, Ecuador, Pichincha, Tinalandia, 17 km E Sto. Domingo de Los Colorados, 700 m, 16 Mar 2006, day, leg. J.S. Miller & A. Guasti, reared ex Passiflora rubra, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1655 ); ³, Ecuador, Dos Puentes, 1700 ft, Jan 1929, leg. W.J. Coxey, CMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-647 ); ♀, Ecuador, Pichincha, Tinalandia , 17 km E Sto. Domingo de Los Colorados, 700 m, 16 Mar 2006, day, leg. J.S. Miller & A. Guasti, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1658 ).

Figures

Fig. 336. Morphology of Josia. A, J. fustula ³ head, lateral view; B, J. fustula ³ head, lateral view; C, J. ligula ³ head, lateral view; D, J. ligula ³ head, frontal view; E, J. ligula ³ head, posterior view; F, J. mononeura ³ wings; G, J. frigida ♀ wings; H, J. ligula ³ wings; I, J. megaera ³ tegula; J, J. megaera ³ labial palpus (illustration by J.S. Miller).