Spragueia Grote, 1875

Lafontaine, Donald & Poole, Robert, 2010, Review of the New World genera of the subfamily Acontiinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 137-160 : 150-152

Spragueia Grote, 1875

Figs 17, 37, 47

The genus Spragueia contains 21 species of small, colorful moths found from southern Canada to the American tropics. Th e genus has traditionally been associated with the group of genera now amalgamated into Ponometia , probably because of small size and bold forewing pattern, compared with the bird-dropping look of most species of Tarache and Acontia . Th e male genitalia, however, are asymmetrical, and the ampulla well developed, as in Acontia , Pseudalypia , and Eusceptis , so we associate Spragueia with these genera. Male genitalia (Fig. 37). Th e clasper of each valve is a broad plate arising from the ventral margin of the valve with a well developed ampulla on each side with the setae enlarged, so the ampulla resembles a mace. Th e right clasper ends in a heavily sclerotized spine-like process that is absent on the left valve. Th e vesica has four lobes covered with spicules. A strong corona is usually present. Female genitalia (Fig. 47). The ostium is deeply invaginated and heavily sclerotized with the sclerotization commonly extended into the corpus bursae. Th e corpus bursae is usually globular with its anterior half weakly sclerotized.

Food plants. Species have been reared from plant species in the families Malvaceae , Sterculiaceae , Asteraceae , Convolvulaceae , and Poaceae .