Morrisonia latex (Guenée) Fluid Arches

Pogue, Michael G., 2010, The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA 2380, Zootaxa 2380 (1), pp. 1-75 : 17-18

7. Morrisonia latex (Guenée) Fluid Arches

( Figs. 14–15 , Map 8)

Identification: Forewing length 17–22 mm. A distinct, black transverse bar runs across the frons at the dorsal eye margin. The forewing has a distinct black, somewhat triangular spot on costa between the basal and antemedial lines. Orbicular spot is white and faintly outlined in black; reniform spot is outlined in black and is multicolored with white, black, and gray scales, but its most distinguishing character is the patch of ferruginous scales on its proximal border. An angulate black dash is present between the orbicular and reniform spots and runs from the costa to bottom of discal cell. In the terminal area of the wing there is a short black dash between veins R4 and R5, the longest black dash between veins R5 and M1, and another short dash at the tornus. Hindwing is gray with a faint discal spot and a thin terminal line consisting of contiguous crescent-shape spots.

MAP 8. Collecting localities of Morrisonia latex .

Flight period: Late April to early August.

Collected localities: North Carolina : Haywood Co., Balsam Mountain picnic area on Flat Creek Trail, Cataloochee pull off at Sal Patch Gap, Cataloochee service road off Cataloochee Road, Cove Creek Road, Cove Creek Road junction with paved section 0.5 rd mi. from park edge, Mt. Sterling trail 0.72 mi from Trailhead, Purchase Knob, Purchase Knob at house, Purchase Knob at lower creek, Purchase Knob Ferguson cabin, Purchase Knob on road in meadow, Purchase Knob N of house, Purchase Knob NE of house, Purchase Knob NW of house, Rough Fork Trail at Polls Gap on Balsam Mountain Road 6.1 mi N of Blue Ridge Parkway; Swain Co., Beetree Ridge, Big Cove Road site b, Big Cove Road site p, 1 road mi N of Clingman’s Dome, 13.5 mi NE of GSMNP entrance on Rt. 441 Thomas Divide Trail, 15.2 mi NE of GSMNP entrance on Rt. 441 Deep Creek Trail, 8.3 mi NW of GSMNP entrance on Rt. 441 Kephart Prong Trail, Clingman’s Dome Road Indian Gap, Upper Noland Divide Trailhead ca. Clingman’s Dome, 0.1 mi NE of Twentymile Ranger Station, 0.2 mi NE of Twentymile Ranger Station, 0.2 km W mouth Hazel Creek, 0.7 km up creek from mouth of Goldmine Creek. Tennessee: Blount Co., Cades Cove Ranger Station, 0.2 mi SW of Campsite 13 on Wolf Ridge Trail, Gregory Bald, E of Campsite 13 on Gregory Bald Trail, N of Campsite 13 on Gregory Bald Trail, 0.2 mi NE of Parsons Bald on Wolf Ridge Trail, Parsons Bald, Spence Field, Tremont; Cocke Co., 3.6 rd mi E of junction on Rt. 32 Cosby, Cosby ATBI house, vicinity of Cosby Campground trailhead, 0.25 mi inside entrance to Cosby Campground, Foothills Parkway south overlook, Foothills Parkway 4.5 mi from Rt. 321; Sevier Co., Campsite 27 on Jake’s Creek Trail, near Campsite 27 on Jake’s Creek Trail, below Campsite 27 on Jake’s Creek Trail, Campsite 20 on Meigs Mountain Trail nr. creek, 1.3 mi W of junction 441 and Clingman’s Dome Road on Road Prong Trail, 6 mi S of Sugarlands Visitor Center, ca. 7 mi S of Sugarlands Visitor Center. (124 specimens)

Elevation range: 1350–5960 ft. (411–1817 m)

General distribution: An eastern North American species distributed from Nova Scotia to Ontario in Canada, and in the U.S. from Maine south to North Carolina and west to Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Larval hosts: This is another polyphagous forest species feeding on many trees and woody shrubs. The following hosts are arranged in order of preference based on the number of specimens collected from each host: European white birch ( Betula pendula Roth , Betulaceae ), American elm ( Ulmus americana L., Ulmaceae ), red maple ( Acer rubrum L., Aceraceae ), ironwood ( Eusideroxylon sp. Teijsm. & Binnend., Lauraceae ), yellow birch ( Betula alleghaniensis Britton , Betulaceae ), sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh. , Aceraceae ), white oak ( Quercus alba L., Fagaceae ), black cherry ( Prunus serotina Ehrh. , Rosaceae ), and beech ( Fagus sp. , Fagaceae ) ( Prentice 1962). Other hosts include American hornbeam ( Carpinus caroliniana Walter , Betulaceae ), basswood ( Tilia americana L., Tiliaceae ), hophornbeam ( Ostrya sp. , Betulaceae ), hazel ( Corylopsis sp. , Hamamelidaceae ), poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze, Anacardiaceae ), willow ( Salix sp. , Salicaceae ), and witchhazel ( Hamamelis sp. , Hamamelidaceae ) ( Wagner 2005); river birch ( Betula nigra L., Fagaceae ) ( Crumb 1956). The larva is illustrated in Wagner (2005).

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Adults. 9, Morrisonia confusa, m, Maryland, Montgomery Co., Seneca, Sycamore Landing, 21 Apr.