Noctuidae - Condicinae - Condicini

 

 

 

Condica punctifera (Walker) [1857]

Celaena punctifera Walker, [1857] 1856, List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 10:263.

Celaena semifurca Walker, 1857, List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, 11:732.

Diagnosis: Condica punctifera is an Antillean species that occurs northward into southern Florida. This is a small brown species with a large reniform spot which is often, but not always, accented with gray-white in its lower half. There is a black basal dash. The antemedial line is double with the outer line usually more distinct than the inner. The postmedial line is also double with the inner line accented with black, particularly near the crossing points of the veins. The orbicular spot is a small circle and is mucher smaller and less apparent than the reniform spot. The claviform spot is absent, or at most represented by a thin black line. The hindwing is suffused with black-brown, although there may be a slightly lighter base in males. The thorax is brown, but the outer margins of the tegulae are accented with black.

Distribution: This species occurs in southern Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The species is, so far, unknown from the Lesser Antilles. In North America it occurs in southern Florida and is so far known only from the southern Everglades in the general vicinity of Homestead in Dade County. There does not appear to be much variability in this species based on the relatively small number of specimens currently available. Females are slightly larger and darker than males, but not remarkably so. The distinctiveness of the white marking in the reniform spot of the forewing is variable and is absent in about one-half of the specimens I have seen. Adults have been collected in January, March, May, and November.

Identification Quality: Excellent

Larva: Unknown

Foodplants: Unknown
Condica punctifera

Within the North American range of this species in Florida, punctifera may be confused with two other species of Condica, vecors and new species 1. None of the distinctive features of the male and female genitalia found in vecors occur in punctifera and the differences can be immediately seen by comparing the relevant photographs. Superficially punctifera is consistently smaller than vecors. The color of punctifera is brown or dark red-brown and is never brown-black as is usually the case in vecors. The claviform spot is absent or a most represented by a vague black oval in punctifera, but is never prominent and black as in vecors. There is never a distinctive black basal dash in vecors. In the male the distinctive cream-colored ring around the abdomen of vecors is absent in punctifera.

The second likely candidate for misidentification is Condica new species 1. Condica new species 1 in Florida is a slightly smaller species than punctifera. The forewing color is darker in Condica new species 1 and the maculation is much more obscure. In particular the antemedial and postmedial lines are distinctly present in punctifera but represented by obscure light marks in Condica new species 1. The basal dash of punctifera is absent in new species 1. In the male genitalia the vesica of punctifera is globular, with two strong denticulate structures. In contrast the vesica of Condica new species 1 is elongate with an apical patch of dentate spines. The base of the valve of punctifera is simple, but in Condica new species 1 the base has the more complicated structure found in the sutor species group.

Similar Species

Condica vecors

Condica new species 1