Feltia herilis (Grote)

Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1215 (1), pp. 1-95 : 28-29

19. Feltia herilis (Grote) Master’s Dart

( Fig. 23, Map 14)

Identification: Forewing length 15.0–19.0 mm. Forewing ground color is dark gray with contrasting blackish­gray discal area. Orbicular spot is cut almost in half by R vein and outlined in cream and black, reniform spot is cream, outlined in black. This species is distinguished by the cream­colored streak that extends along the M vein and turns ventrad between veins Cu 1 and Cu 2. Hindwing is dark gray, becoming lighter basally with a faint discal spot.

Flight period: Collected from mid­August to mid­October.

Collected localities: North Carolina: Haywood Co., Cataloochee; Swain Co. , Big Cove Road site b, Big Cove Road site c, Big Cove Road site p, Big Cove Road site w, Ravensford . Tennessee: Blount Co., vicinity of Cades Cove, Cades Cove near Ranger Station , Tremont ; Cocke Co. , Cosby ATBI house, Foothills Parkway East , Foothills Parkway , 2 nd overlook East ; Sevier Co. , Elkmont , Park Headquarters. (31 specimens)

MAP 14. Collecting localities of Felia herilis .

Elevation range: 1360–2600 ft. (415–792 m)

General distribution: Widespread, from Newfoundland across Canada to Yukon and British Columbia; in the eastern United States from Maine to panhandle of Florida, west to North Dakota, Missouri, and south­central Texas; in the western United States in the Rocky Mountain region from Montana south to southern New Mexico and eastern Arizona, and in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho ( Lafontaine 2004) .

Larval hosts: The larva of F. herilis cannot be distinguished from that of the Dingy Cutworm ( F. jaculifera (Guenée)) . It is probably a general feeder ( Lafontaine 2004).