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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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