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Noctuidae - Condicinae - Condicini
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Condica vecors (Guenée)
Diagnosis: Condica vecors is a species of the eastern half of North America. This species is unlikely to be confused with any other in its range, except in southern Florida and southern Texas. In general vecors is dark, dull brown-black. The amount of brown versus black in the forewing varies between individuals. The claviform spot is a distinct black spot. The orbicular spot is a ovate spot with an outer lighter ring. The reniform spot is kidney-shaped and it outlined with an obscure white ring. The bottom half of the reniform spot is sometimes, but not always, accented with white. Both the antemedial and postmedial lines are double, and slightly lighter than the group color of the wing. The outer line of the postmedial line is dentate with small white dots on the teeth in most specimens. In the males there is a distinctive cream-colored ring about the distal apex of the abdomen just before the seventh tergite. The male genitalia are very distinctive. The valves are broad and covered with fine, long hairs. The clasper is L-shaped with the apex pointed toward the apex of the valve. There is a projection of the sacculus just basal of the clasper and the overall effect is as if there were two claspers. The juxta is divided by a central membranous region. The apices of the juxta are strongly sclerotized and slightly denticulate. The base of the vesica is globular with a strong denticulate plate. There are no other lobes or pouches associated with it. The globular basal part gives rise abruptly to a long distal tail. The apex of the body of the aedoeagus is long and triangular. The female genitalia are similarly distinctive. The ventral membrane of the eighth sternite just distal to the ostium appears to consist of a hollow blister filled with glandular material. The blister appears to open into the ostium region. The ostial region is complex, apparently consisting of multiple denticulate folds. The ductus bursae is wide and irregularly wrinkled. There is no appendix bursae, but the ductus seminalis is almost immediately expanded into a wide globular pouch near its inception from the ductus bursae. The corpus bursae is narrowed to a neck nears its junction with the ductus bursae. There is a single denticulate signum. Distribution: This species has wide distribution in the eastern half of North America. In the east it occurs as far north as southern Ontario and Quebec in Canada and southern New England in the United States. It occurs as far south as central Florida. Westward it has been taken in Michigan and Wisconsin, but is not yet known from Minnesota or the northern Plain states. Condica vecors has been collected in western Missouri, eastern Kansas, and eastern Texas. It has not been collected in northern Texas or the central or western Plains states. There is a single old specimen labeled "Denver" in the USNM, but this record needs to be confirmed. The overall distribution is of a primarily southeastern species that occurs northward, but is eventually limited by cold winter temperatures. Identification Quality: Excellent Larva: The larva has been described by Crumb (1956) Foodplants: Unknown, but probably a variety of herbaceous composites.
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Condica vecors
Over most of its range vecors is not likely to be confused with any other species in Condica. However problems can arise in southern Florida and southern Texas. Condica new species 1 is so far known only from southeastern Texas in the United States. Condica vecors can be very difficult to separate from new species 1 superficially. The male and female genitalia are abundantly distinct, however (compare the relevant figures in the plates). All of the superficial differences mentioned below are relative and certainly not invariably true. Condica new species 1 is a consistently brown species. In contrast vecors usually, but not always is tinted with black-brown. Condica new species 1 is generally smaller than vecors, although small specimens of vecors approach new species 1 in size. The most consistent difference seems to be in the inner of the two lines making up the postmedial line. The inner line is scalloped in vecors but is not scallped in new species 1. In addition there are usually a series of black dashes between the two components of the postmedial line in its upper half in new species 1, but not so in vecors. Finally the claviform spot is larger and more distinct in new species 1 than in vecors. The second species, punctifera, is also likely to be mistaken for vecors. Condica punctifera is a Carribean species that ranges northward into southern Florida. Again none of the distinctive features of the male and female genitalia found in vecors occur in punctifera. Superficially punctifera is consistently smaller than vecors. The color is 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 commonly a strong black basal dash in the forewing of punctifera. 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. |
Similar Species
Condica new species 1
Condica punctifera |
