Protodeltote muscosula (Guenée), Guenee

Pogue, Michael G., 2010, of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Zootaxa 2499, pp. 1-20 : 12-13

8. Protodeltote muscosula (Guenée) , Large Mossy Lithacodia

( Figs. 27–28 , Map 14)

Identification: Forewing length 9.0-12.0 mm. This is a dark species heavily mottled with white, gray, black, and olive scales. Forewing with a black and olive quadrate patch on costa proximal to reniform spot; reniform spot gray, centered and outlined in white; olive patch with central black line below reniform; postmedial and subterminal lines olive; elongate black spots along outer margin. Hind wing is pale gray to gray. Ueda (1984, 1987) revised the group of genera related to Deltote R. L. from Japan and Taiwan and described the genus Protodeltote Ueda 1984 . The North American species P. muscosula and P. albidula (Guenée) were determined to be congeneric with Protodeltote ( Lafontaine and Schmidt 2010) .

MAP 14. Collecting localities of Protodeltote muscosula .

Flight period: May to September.

Collected localities: North Carolina: Haywood Co.: Purchase Knob; Purchase Knob, on road in meadow; Purchase Knob, by Ferguson cabin; Purchase Knob, at house; Purchase Knob, at lower creek; Purchase Knob, NW of house; Purchase Knob, in woods at base of knob; Swain Co.: Big Cove Rd., site b, site c, site p; Kephart Prong Trail; 0.5 km from mouth of Chambers Creek, 300 feet up hillside on NW side; 300 feet above lake on Welch Ridge; 0.7 km up creek from mouth of Goldmine Creek; 0.7 km W of Payne Cemetery; 0.4 km up trail from lake on Forney Creek; Oconaluftee Staff Apartments. Tennessee: Blount Co.: vic. Cades Cove; Cades Cove Ranger Station; Cades Cove ATBI house, 2000 m SW; near gate to Cades Cove Loop; Cades Cove, Forge Creek Rd.; Tremont; Cocke Co.: Albright Grove Trailhead; Cosby campground area; Cosby Ranger Station; Foothills Parkway; Foothills Parkway, N of 3rd pullout; Maddron Bald Trail; Sevier Co.: Greenbrier Ranger Station; Greenbrier picnic shelter; Jake’s Creek Trail, Campsite #27; Jake’s Creek Trail; Jake’s Creek Trail above Campsite #27; Elkmont, Jakes’ Creek; Park Headquarters; ca. 7 mi S Sugarlands Visitor Center. (98 specimens)

Elevation range: 1360–4924 ft. (415–1501 m)

General distribution: Nova Scotia to northern Florida, west to Texas, Missouri, and North Dakota.

Larval hosts: Grasses ( Covell 1984).

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 29. Adults. 17, “ Lithacodia ” musta, f, Tennessee, Sevier Co., Jake’s Creek trail above campsite # 27, GSMNP, 3600 ft., 23 July 2004, M. G. Pogue, USNMENT 00221900; 18, Maliattha concinnimacula, m, North Carolina, Haywood Co., Cataloochee, pull off at Sal Patch Gap, GSMNP, 3440 ft., 18 May 2005, M. G. Pogue, USNMENT 00254469; 19, Maliattha synochitis, m, Nebraska, Cherry Co., Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Hackberry Lake, 8 June 1983, D. C. Ferguson; 20, Maliattha synochitis, f, Maryland, Allegany Co., Warrior Mountain Wildlife Management Area, 25 June 2001, J. Glaser; 21, Marimatha nigrofimbria, f, Tennessee, Sevier Co., GSMNP, Jake’s Creek Tr., above Campsite # 27, 3600 ft., 23 July 2004, M. G. Pogue, USNMENT 00221897; 22, Marimatha nigrofimbria, f, Tennessee, Cocke Co., Cosby Picnic area off Gabes Mountain trail, GSMNP, 2200 ft., 29 July 2007, M. Pogue, D. Adamski, M. Metz, GSMNP 1063; 23, Ozarba aeria, m, Maryland, Prince Georges Co., Ft. Washington Park, 6 June 2003, J. Glaser; 24, Ozarba aeria, f, Texas, Uvalde Co., Garner State Park, 21 Sep. 1965, A. & M. E. Blanchard; 25, Ozarba aeria, m, Texas, Kimble Co., Junction, 26 Oct. 1973, A. & M. E. Blanchard; 26, Ozarba aeria, f, Texas, Culberson Co., Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area, 6000 ft., 15 July 1971, A. & M. E. Blanchard; 27, Protodeltote muscosula, f, Tennessee, Sevier Co., Jake’s Creek trail above campsite # 27, GSMNP, 3600 ft., 23 July 2004, M. G. Pogue, USNMENT 00221898; 28, Protodeltote muscosula, f, Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax Co., Arndale, 12 July 1972, D. C. Ferguson; 29, Tripudia rectangula, f, Arkansas, Washington Co., Devil’s Den State Park, 5 July 1966, R. W. Hodges.