Anicla infecta (Oschsenheimer)

Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1215 (1), pp. 1-95 : 15-16

3. Anicla infecta (Oschsenheimer) , Green Cutworm

( Fig. 4, Map 3)

Identification: Forewing length 16.0–17.0 mm. Forewing ground color is gray; reniform

spot is outlined in white and rufous and consists of multiple black dots; subterminal line is a series of faint black dots; terminal area is dark rufous. Hindwing is white with apices of veins, costa, and thin margin dark gray. This species is easily distinguished from other Anicla occurring in the Park. This species has a prominent forewing reniform spot that is outlined in white and rufous and the thin dark gray margin of the hindwing that extends onto the veins.

Flight period: Collected from July to early November.

Collected localities: North Carolina: Haywood Co., Piney Mountain, Purchase Knob house, Purchase Knob NE of house field, Purchase Knob cabin; Swain Co. , Big Cove Road site p; Mt. Buckley . Tennessee: Blount Co., Gregory Bald; Cocke Co., Albright Grove ATBI Plot, Foothills Parkway East, Foothills Parkway 2.1 mi W Hwy. 321; Sevier Co. , Brushy Mountain ATBI Plot, Park Headquarters. (30 specimens)

MAP 3. Collecting localities of Anicla infecta .

Elevation range: 1480–6560 ft. (451–1999 m)

General distribution: In Canada from southern Nova Scotia and southern Quebec, and in the United States from Maine south to Florida, west to Illinois, southern Kansas, northern New Mexico, central Arizona, and southern California ( Lafontaine 2004) .

Larval hosts: Mainly a grass feeder but also feeds on beets ( Beta sp. , Chenopodiaceae ), clover ( Trifolium sp. , Fabaceae ), plantain ( Plantago sp. , Plantaginaceae ), purslane ( Portulaca sp. , Portulacaceae ), and tobacco (Nicotania sp., Solanaceae ) ( Crumb 1956).