Noctuidae - Condicinae - Condicini

 

Male

Female

 

 

Condica claufacta (Walker)

Xylina claufacta Walker, 1857, List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 11:760.  REVISED SYNONYMY

Perigea cervina Smith, 1900, Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., 22:475.  NEW SYONONYMY

Diagnosis: This is the species listed as Platysenta cervina in Hodges et al. (1983). Xylina claufacta Walker has been previously incorrectly listed as a synonym of Condica sutor Guenée. Condica claufacta has a distinctive smooth, almost velvety, deep rusty-red appearance. All of the maculation is obscure. The postmedial line may appear as a series of parallel black dots. The reniform spot is rarely visible, but in rare cases may be marked by a small and obscure dull white spot. The male hindwing is white except for some dark brown suffusion along the inner and outer margins. The female hindwing is uniformly dark brown.

Distribution: Condica claufacta is known only from Florida. The species has been collected as far north as Gadsden County near the Georgia border and as far south as Dade County. There is a single specimen in the USNM labeled "San Antonia, Tex.". This species is only known from Florida and has not been collected by either E. Knudson or A. Blanchard. This specimen, therefore, is probably mislabeled and has been omitted from the distribution map. The sexual dimorphism of the hindwing color was already discussed. Individual variation does not appear to be significant in this species.

Adults have been collected throughout the year, although perhaps most commonly in the Spring and Fall.

Identification Quality: Excellent

Larva: Unknown

Foodplants: Unknown
Condica claufacta

The North American sister species of claufacta is morsa, although the two species are superficially very different. The male genitalia are very similar. The clasper of claufacta has the expanded apex as in morsa, but the apex is larger and more triangular in shape. The vesica of the aedoeagus is nearly identical to that of morsa except that one of the two ventral diverticula (as in viewed in the figure) has denticulations that are absent in morsa. The female genitalia are distinctive. In particular the intersegmental membrane on either side of the ostium is heavily sclerotized and invaginated into two lateral pockets. The corpus bursae is elongate-ovate and there is a large signa consisting of a large, sclerotized, denticulate patch with a lateral ridge on it. The ductus bursae is short and triangular.

Similar Species

Condica morsa