Noctua pronuba (Linnaeus) Large Yellow Underwing Moth

Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1215 (1), pp. 1-95 : 53-54

21. Noctua pronuba (Linnaeus) Large Yellow Underwing Moth

( Fig. 62, Map 39)

Identification: Forewing length 25.0–27.0 mm. This species is easily identified by the yellow hindwing and black marginal band. Forewing can vary in coloration from grayish tan to dark brown with the costa from base to reniform spot a pale gray to tan, which is concolorous with the orbicular spot. Orbicular spot is less distinct on the paler, less mottled specimens. Reniform spot is dark gray to black with a sharply angled distal margin. There is a small black spot at the apex of the subterminal line at the costa. Antemedial line is present on heavily marked specimens, but on lighter individuals the transverse lines are a series of indistinct, black, short wavy lines in the posterior half of the wing below the M vein. Hindwing is yellow with black marginal band, discal cell is absent, and fringe is yellow.

Flight period: Collected from late June to early August.

Collected localities: North Carolina: Haywood Co., Purchase Knob, Purchase Knob at house, Purchase Knob NE of house field . Tennessee: Cocke Co., Cosby ATBI house; Sevier Co., Greenbrier near Ranger Station (6 specimens)

Elevation range: 1700–1860 and 4998 ft. (518–567 and 1523 m)

MAP 39. Collecting localities of Noctua pronuba .

General distribution: In the Old World N. pronuba is distributed from Europe and North Africa eastward to India. This species was introduced into North America at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada around 1979 ( Neil 1981). It was first collected in the United States in Maine in 1985, and then spread throughout the northeast from Vermont and Massachusetts (1989) to New Hampshire (1990), New York and Maryland (1992), and Connecticut (1993) ( Passoa and Hollingsworth 1996). It was first recorded in Pennsylvania in 1998 ( Rawlins and Bier 1998). Since the initial introduction in 1979, it has gradually spread south to North Carolina (1997) and west to Colorado (1999), Wyoming (2000), California (2001) (Powell, personal correspondence), British Columbia (2002), and in Alaska (2005) (Lafontaine, personal correspondence).

Larval hosts: This is a polyphagous species whose hosts include, grass ( Poa annua L., Poaceae ), violets ( Viola sp. , Violaceae ), primrose ( Oenothera sp. , Onagraceae ), dock ( Rumex sp. , Polygonaceae ), knotweed ( Polygonum sp. , Polygonaceae ), saltbush ( Atriplex sp. , Chenopodiaceae ), forget­me­not ( Myosotis sp. , Boraginaceae ), common dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale G. H. Weber ex Wiggers , Asteraceae ), Freesia sp. (Iridaceae) , Gladiolus sp. (Iridaceae) , and various crops such as tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanaceae ), potato ( Solanum tuberosum L., Solanaceae ), carrot ( Daucus carota L. ssp. sativus (Hoffm.) , Apiaceae ), beets ( Beta sp. , Chenopodiaceae ), cabbage ( Brassica oleracea L., Brassicaceae ), grape (Vitus sp., Vitaceae ), and various Brassicaceae ( Passoa and Hollingsworth 1996) .