SUBFAMILY HADENINAE
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Condica Walker

Type species: palpalis Walker (= cupentia Cramer), S. America. 

Synonyms: Gaphara Walker (type species sobria Walker = inquieta Walker, Brazil); Platysenta Grote (type species atriciliata Grote = videns Guenee, U.S.A.); Myrtale Druce (type species imitata Druce, S. America); Bicondica Berio (type species selenosa Guenee, S. America); Monocondica Berio (type species saalmuelleri Berio, Africa).

This genus consists of a large tropical assemblage of species that requires extensive revision. The synonymies above, following Poole (in press), effectively limit the genus to taxa with a particular derived feature of the uncus of the male genitalia: a pair of small but well defined lateral lobes at the base separated by a depression from which the strong ventral curvature of the basal part of the uncus is contiguous.

Generic names such as Perigea Guenee (type species xanthioides Guenee) and Prospalta Walker (type species leucospila Walker) have been applied often in the literature to Condica taxa, but their type species lack the definitive feature of the uncus. Perigea typically has a rather clearly defined sacculus that overlaps a broad falcate valve apex; the slender harpe arises from the cleft between them. In Prospalta the tegumen is expanded laterally at the peniculus (also seen in the type species of Condica) as in Stenopterygia Hampson; the harpe is a slender curved spine set on an elliptical structure in the centre of the rather strap-like valve. The facies of Prospalta leucospila has similarities to that of some Oriental Condica such as albigutta Wileman (see below).

In males of all three genera mentioned above there are no trifine hair pencils; the eighth sternite has long, well developed lateral rods. The forewing facies is typically trifine, but with the reniform stigma large, with a conspicuous, broken border. This reniform is often highlighted white so that it stands out from the darker ground, and in form resembles a cat or dog paw-print. The hindwings are usually paler, with a diffusely darker border. In Prospalta and Condica the valve is strap-like, without a corona, and usually with just a simple central harpe. There is sometimes a clavus at the base of the sacculus in Condica. As mentioned above, Condica is distinguished by a unique feature of the uncus. The aedeagus vesica usually has one or more patches of scobination.

In the female genitalia (C. dolorosa Walker) the ovipositor lobes are rather short, separated from the ring-like eighth segment by an elongated membrane. The basal third of the ductus is sclerotised and scobinate, broadening to the ostium; over the distal two thirds it is more irregularly scobinate. The bursa has a prominent appendix bursae, and is itself pyriform, corrugate, evenly scobinate. In C. aroana Bethune-Baker the ductus is similar but there is no appendix bursae, the bursa having a sclerotised collar sub- basally.

The biology of Bornean species is given below. There appears to be a high degree of specialisation in Compositae as regards larval host-plants.

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