Acontia nitidula

Acontia nitidula
Illustration from John Curtis's British Entomology Volume 5
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Acontia
Species: A. nitidula
Binomial name
Acontia nitidula
(Fabricius, 1787)
Synonyms
  • Bombyx nitidula Fabricius, 1787
  • Phalaena catena Sowerby, 1805
  • Desmophora elegans Stephens, 1829 (replacement name for Phalaena catena Sowerby, 1805)

The Brixton Beauty, Acontia nitidula, is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in Asia, including India. It has also been recorded from Great Britain, but this record is doubtful.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Abelmoschus esculentus and cotton and are considered a minor pest.

Occurrence in the British Isles

The occurrence of Acontia nitidula in the British Isles is unconfirmed and highly doubtful. It was included on the British checklist of Lepidoptera species on the basis of a single specimen taken by Mr Plastead, a notorious dealer in rarities, at Brixton in September 1829. It is thought to be deliberately imported and there is no evidence of breeding in the United Kingdom.

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