Leucania pseudargyria Guenée False Wainscot, 1852

Pogue, Michael G., 2010, The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA 2380, Zootaxa 2380 (1), pp. 1-75 : 37

30. Leucania pseudargyria Guenée False Wainscot

( Fig. 55 , Map 31)

Identification: Forewing length 18–21 mm. Foretibia in male covered with thick long scales giving a bushy appearance. Overall ground color of forewing is light brown with a slight ferruginous cast and no obvious striping. Antemedial line is present, but faint and consists of a slightly curved vertical line within the discal cell and a second line between the Cu and A veins. Postmedial line consists of a double row of black spots with the distal row consisting of more spots than the proximal row. In some specimens the spots from the proximal row are connected with short lines to the spots in the distal row forming a zig-zag pattern. The orbicular and reniform spots are cream colored and the reniform can have a small ground color spot in its ventral half. Terminal line is a series of minute black spots, which can be absent in some specimens. Hindwing is gray, lighter basally with no distinct darker margin.

Leucania pseudargyria is similar to L. ursula with the male foretibia having thick, long scales giving it a bushy appearance. Leucania pseudargyria is larger with a forewing length of 18–21 mm versus 13–17 mm in L. ursula . The forewing ground color in L. pseudargyria is light brown with a distinct ferruginous cast and in L. ursula the ground color is gray with a brownish cast.

Flight period: Late June to early July.

Collected localities: North Carolina : Swain Co., Big Cove Road site p, Smokemont. (2 specimens)

Elevation range: 2040–2250 ft. (622–686 m)

General distribution: In Canada distributed from Nova Scotia to Ontario and in the U.S. ranges from Maine to North Carolina and west to Wisconsin and Illinois.

Larval hosts: Feeds on a variety of grasses including redtop ( Agrostis gigantea Roth , Poaceae ), timothy ( Phleum sp. , Poaceae ), Virginia wild rye ( Elymus virginicus L., Poaceae ), common wheat ( Triticum aestivum L., Poaceae ), and larvae obtained from eggs were reared on orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L., Poaceae ) and brome ( Bromus sp. , Poaceae ) ( Godfrey 1972).

MAP 31. Collecting localities of Leucania pseudargyria .

Figures

FIGURES 49–56. Adults. 49, Leucania inermis, f, North Carolina, Avery Co., Grandfather Mtn., 5280 ft., 14 July 1974, D.C. Ferguson; 50, Leucania linda, m, Maryland, Montgomery Co., Colesville, 16 June 1975, D.C. Ferguson; 51, Leucania linda, m, Maryland, Montgomery Co., Colesville, 9 June 1974, D.C. Ferguson; 52, Leucania multilinea, m, Canada, Nova Scotia, Victoria Co., Kelley Mtn. near Englishtown, 28 July 1970, D.C. Ferguson; 53, Leucania phragmatidicola, f, Oklahoma, Cimarron Co., Black Mesa State Park, E end of primative area, 4312 ft., 24 Aug. 2004, M.G. Pogue; 54, Leucania phragmatidicola, f, Connecticut, New Haven Co., Hamden, 6 June 1966, D.C. Ferguson; 55, Leucania pseudargyria, m, New York, 3 July 1900; 56, Leucania scirpicola, f, Florida, Highlands Co., Lake Placid, Archbold Biological Station, 19 Feb. 1985, D.C. Ferguson.