Isanthrene basifera Walker, 1865

Walker, F. (1865). List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the
Collection of the British Museum, Part 31 (Supplement, Part 1): pp.
86-87. Latin diagnosis followed by Walker's own English description.

Isanthrene basifera.

Mas. Nigro-fusca; caput guttis duabus luteis; palpi erecti; antennae
fulvae, subpectinatae; thorax guttis duabus cyaneis duabusque luteis;
pectus, venter pedesque fulva; abdomen fascia basali guttisque quatuor
luteis, guttis sex posterioribus cyaneis; alae lurido-vitreae, puncto
basali cyaneo, costa ochracea; anticae apice lituraque nigris, vitta
postica ochracea.

Male. Blackish brown. Head with a blue dot between the antennae. Palpi
erect, not rising higher than the vertex; third joint conical, not more
than one-fourth of the length of the second. Antennae tawny, very
slightly pectinated, simple towards the tips, with a black line above
towards the base. Thorax with a blue dot on each side in front, and with
a luteous dot by the base of each fore wing. Pectus tawny. Abdomen more
than twice the length of the thorax; first segment with an abbreviated
luteous band; second and third segments with two lateral luteous spots;
third, fourth and fifth segments with a blue spot on each side; under
side and legs tawny. Wings vitreous, lurid; veins and fringe black; a
blue point at the base; costa ochraceous. Fore wings black towards the
tips; a black mark on the interior angle; an ochraceous stripe along
most of the length of the interior border. Length of the body 8 lines;
of the wings 18 lines.

It has most affinity to I. vespoides, but differs widely from it in the
markings on the body.

Bogota. In Mr. Birchall's collection.

Hampson, G. F. (1898). Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the
British Museum, vol. 1, Syntomidae: p. 176, pl. 6, fig. 3.

355. Isanthrene basifera. (Plate VI. fig. 3.)

Isanthrene basifera, Wlk. xxxi. 86 (1864); Kirby, Cat. Het. p. 152.
Erruca grenadensis, Butl. Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. xii. p. 378 (1876);
Kirby, Cat. Het. p. 154.

Black; antennae orange, with some black on basal half of shaft above;
patagia with orange spots; frons, vertex of head, tegulae, metathorax,
and legs with patches of metallic blue; tarsi orange; abdomen with
dorsal yellow patch on 1st segment, paired yellow spots on 2nd and
sometimes on 3rd; subdorsal and sublateral series of blue spots;
yellowish-white lateral patches on 2nd segment; wings hyaline yellow,
the veins and margins black. Fore wing with two blue spots at base; an
orange subcostal streak and two above base of inner margin; the terminal
band very wide on apical area and expanding at vein 2.

Hab. Colombia, Cundinamarca, type female grenadensis, Bogota (Vergara)
male. Exp. 44 millim.

Draudt, M. (1915). Isanthrene. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera
of the World, vol. 6, The American Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 48, pl. 10 a.

I. basifera Wkr. (= grenadensis Btlr.) (10 a). Black; the antennae at the
tips and beneath orange; forehead, collar, metathorax and legs with
metallic blue spots, tarsi orange yellow. The two first abdominal rings
above yellow, the following ones subdorsally and laterally blue-spotted.
Wings slightly yellowish diaphanous, at the base there are two
metallic-blue spots; costal and proximal margins orange; distal margin
and a large apical spot black. Venezuela (Merida), Colombia, Bogota.