Patula

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 : 769-770

KEY TO PATULA GROUP SPECIES

1. Propleuron and base of tegula orange-yellow; A1 dorsum with a yellow transverse band (faint in L. aurimuta ); HW with an elongate yellow to orange-yellow longitudinal stripe (pl. 31); wing short to moderately long (FW length 5 12.5–18.0 mm)............. 2

– Propleuron and base of tegula concolorous with rest of body, gray-brown to blackish brown; A1 dorsum without a yellow band; HW central area variously patterned with yellow to orange-yellow, or entirely blue-black; wings moderately long to long (FW length 5 14.0–23.0 mm)............. 6

2. Dorsum of A1 with a transverse, orange-yellow band; abdominal pleuron with a strongly contrasting, white or orange-yellow longitudinal stripe, venter white; FW and HW markings orange-yellow......... 3

– A1 dorsum bearing a few scattered orange scales; FW and HW stripes orange (pl. 31); abdominal pleuron with a faint gray longitudinal stripe, venter gray (E Brazil)........................ aurimutua (Walker)

3. Forewing with a longitudinal stripe from base to immediately short of outer margin, no transverse band; HW with a longitudinal band from base to immediately short of outer margin, its apex truncate............ 4

– FW with a thin longitudinal stripe in basal half (pl. 31), located between Sc and radius, a wide, trapezoidal transverse band beyond distal margin of DC, extending from stem of radial sector to immediately short of anal fold; HW with a longitudinal band from base to well short of outer margin, its apex rounded (E Ecuador)..... minuta (Druce)

4. Longitudinal stripe on abdominal pleuron wide, orange-yellow; dorsum of uncus simple; vesica curving strongly upward, forming a curl; vesica with spinelike cornuti scattered over its entire length, without an enlarged distal cornutus; base of female CB densely spinose; FW length 5 12.5–16.0 mm.... 5

– Longitudinal stripe on abdominal pleuron narrow, creamy white; dorsum of uncus with a dorsoventrally flattened crest (fig. 325F); vesica curved gently upward, bearing a single, long thin distal cornutus (fig. 325H); base of CB finely spinulose (fig. 325G); FW length 5 17.0–18.0 mm (S Mexico S to Honduras and Guatemala). tamara (Hering)

5. Socii of male wide, curved gradually downward, apices acute; external knob of signum rounded ( Venezuela and Colombia S to Bolivia and Brazil).... annulata (Dognin)

– Socii narrow, with an elbowlike bend, apices attenuated; external knob of signum narrow (SW Costa Rica S to W Panama)........................... cruciata (Butler)

6. Hind wing exhibiting an orange or yellow pattern, varying in shape and size; FW pattern variable; vesica with a single, greatly enlarged distal cornutus (e.g., fig. 324G); FW length variable................... 7

– HW uniformly black with a purplish iridescence (pl. 30); FW with a narrow, oblique yellow band, extending along subcosta from base, then bending across apex of DC to near tornus; posterior surface of vesica evenly covered with spinelike cornuti, without an enlarged distal cornutus; FW length 5 14.0– 16.0 mm (E Ecuador and Peru)............................. fluonia (Druce)

7. Forewing with a yellow longitudinal stripe, this never extending anteriorly beyond margin of DC; HW broadly yellow from base to near outer margin, a narrow blackish band formed around margin; enlarged distal cornutus of vesica small, club shaped (e.g., fig. 323B); socii greatly attenuated from near middle to apices (fig. 323A); base of CB with a single band of small internal spines (fig. 323C); internal spines of signum small.......................... 10

– FW pattern variable, without a narrow longitudinal stripe, yellow reaching subcosta; HW pattern variable, yellow area confined, never reaching to near outer margin; enlarged cornutus of vesica long, curved (fig. 324G); socii relatively wide, not strongly attenuated (324A); base of CB with a large group of long internal spines (324H); internal spines of signum long..................... 8

8.