i 4 A. WATSON 



patch; in a few specimens (not the holotype) there is a black, lateral spot on each side of segments 

 3-7; segments 5-7 orange dorsally (in type and most specimens), with purple and pale blue 

 iridescence posteriorly on each segment; 7 black, or black with orange medial spot in some 

 specimens ; segment 8 brilliantly iridescent black, blue and green. Ventral surface of segment 

 2 black laterally, orange medially; segments 3-7 orange, each with pair black lateral spots, 

 absent on 7 in four specimens (type abdomen was worn) ; segment 8 orange anteriorly, 

 iridescent dark brown, blue and green posteriorly. 



§. Similar to male. Differs in narrower distal, yellow band on forewing, especially type of 

 tenuifascia, and less extensive yellow proximal area in hindwing. Coloration of abdomen 

 differs as follows: orange band on dorsal surface much narrower, mainly as result of increase 

 in posterior dark brown area which may extend anteriorly to include segment 5 (except for 

 orange medial patch) ; posterior segments brilliantly lustrous only at posterior margin of 

 segments; ventrally dark brown, with or without orange lateral patches. 



Forewing length: holotype $, 21-5 mm; <J 18-5 — 22-0 mm; <j> 23-0-24-5 mm. 



<J genitalia. Uncus tapered; valves arcuate and dilate distally; aedeagus with serrate, 

 apical process; vesica with several lobes. 



§ genitalia. Lamella postvaginalis with broadly V-shaped posterior margin; ductus bursae 

 sclerotized posteriorly; accessory sac of corpus bursae as large as latter; posterior margin of 

 7th sternite weakly concave, finely serrate laterally. 



Separable from momyra, tegyra and gyrata by the evenly rounded apex to the 

 valve in the male genitalia (each of the latter three species has small pointed process 

 at the apex of the valve) . Both momyra and tegyra have much more orange on the 

 dorsal surface of the abdomen than in moma, with no black on the anterior half, 

 and tegyra is further distinguished by the sinuous, distal, yellow band on the fore- 

 wing. The type and only known specimen of the nominal species gyrata possesses 

 the sinuous, distal, yellow band on the forewing, as in tegyra, whereas the abdomen 

 is typical of moma. 



With so little Central American material available, it is difficult to comment 

 about the validity of the names momyra, tegyra and gyrata. On present evidence 

 they seem to represent discrete, allopatric entities, which may prove to form a 

 superspecies (Artenkreis) with moma, or a single polytypic species without moma 

 (from which all three can be separated by the shape of the valva) . 



The type of Rothschild's tenuifascia is simply a female of moma. 



Specimens have been identified from the eastern arm of the Andes in Colombia 

 (or from east of the Andes), from Venezuela, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru and 

 Bolivia. The western arm of the Andes may form a dispersal barrier in Colombia - 

 all four specimens of momyra, for which possible subspecific or superspecific separa- 

 tion from moma has been suggested above, were collected in localities west of this 

 western arm, from where none of the apparently more eastern moma have been 

 taken. There is no record of the nominal species gyrata or tegyra east of the type- 

 locality of the latter - Chiriqui, Panama. 



Material examined. 



Automolis moma Schaus, holotype <$, Guyana: Omai (USNM). Automolis moma 

 tenuifascia Rothschild, holotype $, Brazil: Sta Catarina (BMNH). 



Colombia: i <J, Bellavista, iv.1913 (CM); 2 <$, Pacho, 2200m (Fassl) (USNM: 1^); 1 £, 

 Villavicencio, 400 m (Fassl) ; 7 $, Rio Negro, 800 m (Fassl) ; 1 £, Medina, 500 m (Fassl) 



