Josia integra Walker

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 : 829

Josia integra Walker , revised status Figure 344 ; plate 33

Josia integra Walker, 1854: 301 .

TYPE LOCALITY: ‘‘Honduras’’.

TYPE: Syntype ♀ ( BMNH).

Josia decorata Druce, 1885a: 149 , pl. 14, fig. 5. Revised synonymy. TYPE LOCALITY: Guatemala, San Geronimo. TYPE: Syntype ³, leg. Champion (BMNH).

DISCUSSION: Specimens from Central and South America, usually identified in collections as a single species— J. megaera —instead comprise two taxa. The name integra Walker , formerly regarded as a synonym of megaera ( Prout, 1918; Hering, 1925; Bryk, 1930), is here treated as a valid species applied to Central American material. Genitalia in these taxa are dramatically different, providing numerous means for separation. Wing-pattern characters are somewhat difficult; the orange-yellow FW and HW markings show considerable intraspecific variation regarding their size and shape. Josia integra generally exhibits larger amounts of orange-yellow scaling on the head, patagium, and tegula. The labial palpus offers two characters useful for separation: (1) Lp3 is short and bullet shaped in J. integra males, but is greatly elongate in J. megaera (fig. 336J). Unfortunately, this feature does not apply to females. (2) The ventral half of Lp2 is orange in J. integra , whereas Lp 2 in J. megaera is mostly gray-brown, with a small light yellow area at its base.

Their genitalia differ vastly. Here, the most obvious way to distinguish J. integra and J. megaera males is by their cornuti. The vesica of J. integra is covered with numberous cornuti, varying in shape and size (fig. 344D). In J. megaera , on the other hand, only two large clawlike cornuti appear near the apex of the vesica (fig. 345C). Females differ in the basal sclerites of the CB (figs. 344C, 345E), as well as in length of the DB—long in J. megaera , but short in J. integra .

Josia integra occurs from Honduras north to southern Mexico. Knowledge of the taxon from Mexico is based on: a Yucatán female (BMNH); two examples from Chiapas (AMNH); and a small series in the Alonso and Rafael Turrent Collection. Dissections of type material (JSM-1398, 1400) confirm that decorata Druce , formerly associated with J. megaera ( Bryk, 1930) , is in fact a synonym of integra Walker.

DISTRIBUTION: Honduras (BMNH); Guatemala (BMNH, PTC); Belize (AMNH, VOB); Mexico (AMNH, ARTC, BMNH, LACM).

DISSECTED: Syntype ♀ (genitalia slide no. JSM-1400 ) ; ³ syntype of decorata Druce, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1398 ) ; ³, Belize, Orange Walker Distr. , Hill Bank Field Station, 20 Mar 1998, leg. V. Giles, AMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1706 ) ; ³, Honduras, La Cambre , 900–1000 m, 31 Mar 1922, leg. J. Lienhart, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-305 ) ; ♀, Honduras, La Cambre , 900–1000 m, 31 Mar 1922, leg. J. Lienhart, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-1399 ) ; ♀, Honduras, La Cambre , 14 Feb 1922, leg. J. Lienhart, BMNH (genitalia slide no. JSM-306 ) .

Figures

Fig. 344. Genitalia of Josia integra (³ JSM-1706, ♀ JSM-306). A, ³ genitalia; B, ³ Tg8; C, ♀ genitalia; D, aedeagus; E, ³ St8, ventral view.