Leuconyctini, Poole, 1995

Pohl, Greg, Anweiler, Gary, Schmidt, Christian & Kondla, Norbert, 2010, An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada, ZooKeys 38 (38), pp. 1-549 : 269-273

Leuconyctini

1870 * R Crambodes talidiformis Guenée, 1852 L Jul – L Aug – – G T: Forbes (1954) L: Bowman (1951), Hooper (1991b) C: CNC, UASM

1871 R Leuconycta lepidula (Grote, 1874) M Jun – M Jul – b G T: Forbes (1954) L: Bowman (1951) C: CNC, UASM

63.12. Heliothinae – flower moths

Small to medium-sized (20–50 mm wingspan) moths, many with brightly colored wings. Th e group is defined mainly by larval characters. Th e adults of many species are active during the day, others are nocturnal, and a few are active both day and night. The adults of many species roost on the larval host plant, in some cases within its flowers. Larvae feed on the reproductive parts of the host plant (sepals, flowers, and seeds). A few, such as the Corn Earworm ( Helicoverpa zea ), are among the most destructive lepidopteran agricultural pests in temperate regions.

Members of the Heliothinae are distributed worldwide. About 154 species in 14 genera occur in North America; 23 species in six genera occur in AB. The North American fauna was revised at the generic level by Hardwick (1970b), and at the species level by Hardwick (1958, 1965, 1994). Most recently, he reviewed the North American fauna and illustrated the adults and larvae in color in a self-published monograph ( Hardwick 1996).

1872 R Eutricopis nexilis Morrison, 1875 M May – E Aug M – G

T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

UASM

1873 * R H Pyrrhia exprimens (Walker, 1857) L May – M Jul M B g

T: Hardwick (1996)

L: [ Bowman (1951)], [ Crumb (1956)], [ Prentice

(1962)], Hardwick (1996) C: CNC, NFRC,

OLDS, PMAE, UASM

1874 * M Helicoverpa zea (Boddie, 1850) L Aug – E Sep – – G

Corn Earworm

T: Hardwick (1965, 1996)

L: Bowman (1951),? Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

UASM

1875 * R Heliothis phloxiphaga Grote and Robinson, 1867 M May – E Sep M b G (2Br?)

T: Hardwick (1994, 1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Crumb (1956),? Hardwick

(1996) C: CNC, NFRC, OLDS, PMAE, UASM

1876 * R Heliothis acesias Felder and Rogenhofer, 1875 ? – – G T: Hardwick (1994, 1996)

L: Hardwick (1994, 1996) C: CNC

1877 R H Heliothis ononis (Fabricius, 1787) L May – M Jul m b G Flax Bollworm

T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

NFRC, OLDS, PMAE, UASM

1878 R Heliothis oregonica (Edwards, 1875) L May – E Jul M b G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

NFRC, OLDS, PMAE, UASM

1879 R Heliothis borealis (Hampson, 1903) E May – M Jun M B – T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

UASM

1880 * R Schinia nuchalis (Grote, 1878) Jul – – G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: [ Bowman (1951)], [? Hardwick (1996)] C: CNC

1881 R Schinia jaguarina (Guenée, 1852) L Jul – L Aug – b G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

OLDS, UASM

1882 R Schinia suetus (Grote, 1873) M Jul – – G T: Hardwick (1958, 1996)

L: Hardwick (1996) C: CNC, UASM

1883 R Schinia meadi (Grote, 1873) M Jun – E Aug – – G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

NFRC, OLDS, UASM

1884 R Schinia florida (Guenée, 1852) E Jun – L Jul – B G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Crumb (1956), Hardwick

(1996) C: CNC, NFRC, UASM

1885 R Schinia gaurae (Smith, 1797) L Jul – M Aug – – G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC, UASM

1886 R Schinia honesta (Grote, 1881) M Jul M – – T: Hardwick (1958, 1996)

L: None C: UASM

1887 * R Schinia verna Hardwick, 1983 L May – E Jun – – G Verna’s Flower Moth

T: Hardwick (1983)

L: COSEWIC (2005) C: UASM

1888 R Schinia villosa (Grote, 1864) M Jul – L Jul m – G T: Hardwick (1958, 1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Crumb (1956), Hardwick

(1996) C: CNC, UASM

1889 R Schinia persimilis (Grote, 1873) M Jun – L Aug M b G T: Hardwick (1958, 1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1958, 1996) C: UASM

1890 * R Schinia roseitincta (Harvey, 1875) Jun – – G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: None C: UASM

1891 * R Schinia acutilinea (Grote, 1878) E – L Aug – – G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

OLDS, UASM

1892 R Schinia cumatilis (Grote, 1865) M Jul – M Aug m – G T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951), Hardwick (1996) C: CNC,

NFRC, OLDS, UASM

1893 * R Schinia avemensis (Dyar, 1904) L Jul – M Aug – – G Gold-edged Gem

T: Hardwick (1958, 1996)

L: COSEWIC (2006) C: CNC, UASM

1894 * R Melaporphyria immortua Grote, 1874 L May – B g Dark-banded Flower Gem

T: Hardwick (1996)

L: Bowman (1951) C: CNC, UASM

63.13. Bryophilinae

A small group of small to medium-sized (25–35 mm wingspan), lichen-mimic moths. Until recently, they were placed in the Acronictinae . Eggs are laid on rocks or walls near the lichens upon which the larvae feed. Larvae overwinter in silk-lined burrows, and pupation takes place in blisterlike cocoons of silk and lichen fragments.

There are 13 species in a single genus ( Cryphia ) in North America; the North American species do not belong in the Eurasian genus Cryphia but are provisionally maintained therein pending revision (Lafontaine and Schmidt in press). Two species occur in AB.

1895 * R “ Cryphia ” olivacea (Smith, 1891) L: None C: CNC, UASM

1896 * R “ Cryphia ” cuerva (Barnes, 1907) L: None C: CNC

L Jul M – –

L Jul M – –

63.14. Noctuinae

Small to medium-sized (15–60 mm wingspan) moths, mostly drably colored with a typical ‘noctuiform’ build – the forewings are elongate-triangular and held roof-like or flat and overlapping at rest, and the hindwings usually lack well defined markings. The subfamily is defined by a suite of structural characters (see e.g., Fibiger and Lafontaine 2005). It is a large group and includes much of what was previously included in the subfamilies Amphipyrinae and Hadeninae ; most species of the old concept of Amphipyrinae have been transferred to the tribes Apameini and Xylenini , while the former Hadeninae have been relegated to several tribes including Hadenini . In North America, the subfamily is made up of some 1500 species; 468 species are reported from AB.

The Apameini , Xylenini , Hadenini , Eriopygini and Noctuini are the largest tribes in the subfamily, and include most of the noctuoid species of economic importance. The larvae of many species of Apameini bore into and feed within the stems and roots of the host plant. Th e largest genera are Apamea and Papaipema , both with more than 40 North American species, although Papaipema is poorly represented in the West. Most of the Xylenini fly late in the season, with some genera (e.g., Lithophane , Eupsilia ) overwintering as adults. Lithophane includes over 50 North American species. Th e Hadenini includes 121 North American species, particularly dominant in dry, grasslands and steppe habitats (particularly Anarta and Scotogramma ). The Polia group of genera, which includes pest species such as the Bertha Armyworm ( Mamestra configurata ), was revised by McCabe (1980). Eriopygini includes two particularly large and taxonomically diffi cult genera that are diverse in the West, Lacinipolia and Lasionycta , the latter of which was recently revised ( Crabo and Lafontaine 2009). Th e Noctuini are dull-colored moths of moderate size, and at rest their wings lie in a characteristically flat and overlapping manner, so that the costa parallels the centerline. Males of most species lack basal abdominal brush organs, and first-instar larvae have clubbed setae on sclerotized pinacula. Larvae of the subfamily are cutworms that are generally polyphagous on herbaceous angiosperms, with later-instar larvae hiding by day in soil or under vegetation, emerging to feed after dark. Many noctuines are serious agricultural pests. Th e tribe is divided into two large subtribes (previously as tribes): the Agrotina , with origins in South America, and the Noctuina , with a primarily northern Holarctic steppe distribution. Th ere are approximately 500 species of Noctuini in North America (including a number of undescribed species) in about 45 genera. A total of 197 species in 36 genera are reported here for AB, including 86 species in the large genus Euxoa .

Generic revisions of Noctuinae include Anarta ( Mustelin 2006) , Apamea ( Mikkola et al. 2009) , Coranarta ( Lafontaine et al. 1987a; Yela 2002), Brachylomia ( Troubridge and Lafontaine 2007) , Cosmia ( Lafontaine and Troubridge 2003) , Elaphria ( Saluke and Pogue 2000; Pogue and Sullivan 2003), Enargia (Schmidt in press), Hadena ( Hacker 1996; Troubridge and Crabo 2002), Hyppa ( Troubridge and Lafontaine 2004) , Lasionycta ( Crabo and Lafontaine 2009) , Mesogona ( Crabo and Hammond 1997) , Nedra ( Clarke 1940) , Neoligia ( Troubridge and Lafontaine 2002) , Spodoptera ( Todd and Poole 1980) , and Stretchia ( McDunnough 1949) . Th e North American Noctuini were recently revised in three volumes of the Moths of North America series (Lafontaine 1987, 1998, 2004). AB records from older works on the Noctuinae , particularly in the genus Euxoa , are not comprehensively listed here, because they are superseded by Lafontaine’s works. Many of the genera of Noctuinae are still in need of taxonomic revision.