Species Rindgea nigricomma - Hodges#6407

6407

Rindgea nigricomma (Warren, 1904)

Semiothisa nigricomma Warren, 1904

nigri - Latin word meaning black or dark;

comma - Greek for a short clause

referring to the dark comma shaped mark along the PM line(1)

One of 13 species in the genus for North America north of Mexico.(2)

Forewing length:(2)

males 10-13 mm.

females 11-14 mm.

Adult - forewing is light gray with three brownish transverse lines crossing the wing. The medial (M) and postmedial (PM) line are fairly straight and have a dark spot where they meet the costa. The antemedial (AM) line is slightly convex. The area beyond the PM line in both FW and HW is markedly darker gray, noticeably contrasting the paler median and AM areas of the wings. The PM line has a well-defined black blotch, or group of black spots, where it crosses the 2nd and 3rd medial veins, as opposed to some related species having a diffuse black blotch instead.

Known from Arizona east to Louisiana, common in south Texas.(2)

Adults can be found all months except January and July.(2)

Larval host is Acacia smallii (Texas Huisache), now a junior synonym of Vachellia farnesiana (L.) Willd. (sweet acacia).

Several similar species in this difficult group. Please compare photos of pinned adults at Moth Photographers Group.

Six-spotted Digrammia, Digrammia sexpunctata - Has less contrasting or missing lines and usually is missing most of the lines on the hind-wing.

Ferguson, D. C. 2008. The Moths of North America, Fascicle 17.2, Geometroidea, Geometridae, Ennominae (part: Abaxini, Cassymini, Macariini). p.325; pl.8.25-26.(2)

Warren, W. 1904. New American Thyrididae, Uraniidaen, and Geommetridae. Novitates Zoologicae 11(1): 127

Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of living and pinned adults.

BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems - collection map and pinned adults.

Moth Photographers Group - photograph of pinned adult and related species for comparison.