Noctuidae - Acontiinae

 

 

 

Ponometia nannodes (Hampson)

Tarachidia nannodes Hampson, 1910, Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum, 10:692, pl. 169, fig. 26.

Diagnosis: The front of the head is swollen but lacks any significant frontal process. The ground color is light yellow-tan with a very slight greenish tinge. The postmedial line is well marked, slightly toothed. The basal area is filled with obscure brown and gray markings. The outer half of the median area is light yellow-tan with a rectangular projection pointing toward the reniform. The reniform is yellow-tan, surrounded by a dark brown ring, itself followed on the outside by a light yellow-tan ring. A rectangular brown mark occurs on the costa above the reniform and its interior is yellow-tan. The lower two-thirds of the postmedial line is a dark brown, broad band. The subterminal line is brown and distinct and light yellow-tan and reaches from the inner margin to about one-half the distance to the costal magin. The hindwing is heavily infuscated with gray-brown. Wing expanse from base to apex in one selected individual 9 mm.

Distribution: (Based only on specimens in the USNM). Ponometia nannodes has a wide distribution in the southwestern United States and Mexico. In the U.S. it occurs in north-central and western Texas. It is also found in New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. The species appears to be distributed throughout most of Mexico.

Identification Quality: Good for the United States. However central Mexican material needs to be examined further.

Larva: Unknown

Foodplants: Unknown

Distribution map based on specimens in the USNM

 

Ponometia nannodes

Ponometia nannodes might be confused with P. libedis. However nannodes is a much darker species than libedis.

There are a number of small, brown acontiines that might be confused with Ponometia nannodes. A discussion of separating these little brown acontiines is found on the page:

Identifying Little Brown Acontiines

Similar Species

Ponometia libedis