Nanaia Heinrich

Thomas J. Simonsen and Richard L. Brown

Last updated: Dec.15, 2009

Taxonomic Synonymy
Nanaia Heinrich, 1939, Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., 86: 354.
Type species: Nanaia substituta Heinrich, 1939. By monotypy.

Diagnostic Characters
Adult
Nanaia can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: 1) antenna of the male bipectinate, 2) maxillary palpus very large with a somewhat flattened distal tuft of scales that reached upper half of eye, 3) forewings narrow 4) forewing M2 and M3 sharing a common stem, but separate for more than half their length, 5) hind wing M2+3 and CuA1 fused basally sharing a common stem (Heinrich 1939; Neunzig 1997; Simonsen 2008).

Larva
According to Heinrich (1939) the larvae are bluish without bands or spots.

Larval Hosts
The larvae feed in Cylindropuntia and perhaps Echinopsis. (Heinrich 1939; Mann 1969).

Life History
Eggs and larval behaviour are unknown (Heinrich 1939; Mann 1969).

Distribution
Nanaia is known only from Peru (Heinrich 1939, 1956; Mann 1969).

Species
substituta