Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth) Armyworm Moth

Pogue, Michael G., 2010, The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA 2380, Zootaxa 2380 (1), pp. 1-75 : 39-40

33. Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth) Armyworm Moth (adult), Armyworm (larva)

( Figs. 59–60 , Map 34)

The former name of this species was Pseudaletia unipuncta but is now placed in the genus Mythimna ( Fibiger and Lafontaine 2005) .

Identification: Forewing length 17–21 mm. Forewing ground color is brown with a ferruginous cast and can vary in intensity, some specimens being lighter or darker than others. Black scales are randomly sprinkled throughout forewing. There is a distinct tiny white dot at the end of the discal cell and the Cu vein is highlighted either white or black and contrasts with the ground color. Orbicular and reniform spots are faint being just slightly lighter than ground color and reniform can have some darker scales in center. Postmedial line is a series of small black dots that curve from costa to posterior margin. A fuzzy black dash angles from apex to postmedial line at vein M2. Hindwing is dark gray with a faint discal spot and white fringe.

This species is easily identified by the ferruginous-brown forewing, tiny white spot at end of discal cell, and an angled fuzzy black band from the apex to the postmedial line.

Flight period: Late April to early November, 2–3 broods annually.

Collected localities: North Carolina : Haywood Co., Purchase Knob, Purchase Knob at house, Purchase Knob N of house, Purchase Knob NE of house, Purchase Knob NW of house; Swain Co., Big Cove Road site b, Big Cove Road site c, Big Cove Road site p, Big Cove Road site w, Clingman’s Dome parking lot 1.2 mi NE Noland Divide Trail, 3.3 mi NE of Clingman’s Dome parking lot on Fork Ridge Trail , Deep Creek Ranger Station , 15.2 mi NE of GSMNP entrance on 441 on Deep Creek Trail , 0.2 km W of mouth of Hazel Creek , 0.5 km from mouth of Chamber’s Creek 300 ft. up hillside on NW side, 0.7 km up creek from mouth of Goldmine Creek , Mt. Buckley , 300 ft. above lake on Welch Ridge . Tennessee: Blount Co., Cades Cove Abrams Creek, Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church , Cold Spring Gap , Foothills Parkway W at Little River , Gregory Bald , Gregory Bald Trail E of campsite 13, Tremont Environmental Center ; Cocke Co. , vic. Cosby ATBI house, Cosby Campground area , Cosby Campground vic. trailhead, Cosby Ranger Station , Foothills Parkway East , Foothills Parkway 2 nd overlook East , Foothills Parkway East 1 st overlook at 1 st turnout; Sevier Co. , 5.7 mi NE of Clingman’s Dome parking lot on Road Prong Trail , Greenbrier Ranger Station , Laurel Falls Trail , W of Campsite 20, Elkmont , Elkmont Jake’s Creek , 3.5 mi S of Rt. 321 Greenbrier covered picnic area, Jake’s Creek Trail nr. Campsite 27, Newfound Gap , Park Headquarters , 7 mi S Sugarland Visitor Center. (120 specimens)

Elevation range: 1000–6560 ft. (305–1999 m)

General distribution: This is a common widespread species, occurring across Canada and the U.S. from coast to coast.

Larval hosts: A polyphagous species that prefers grasses and cereal crops, but like most polyphagous agricultural pests will eat many other hosts if preferred host is not available ( Crumb 1927). Hosts include barley ( Hordeum sp. , Poaceae ), Bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Poaceae ), bluegrass ( Poa sp. , Poaceae ), corn ( Zea mays L., Poaceae ), common oat ( Avena sativa L., Poaceae ), common wheat ( Triticum aestivum L., Poaceae ), larvae obtained from eggs were reared on orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L., Poaceae ), redtop ( Agrostis gigantea Roth , Poaceae ), rye ( Secale sp. , Poaceae ), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, Poaceae ), sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L., Poaceae ), timothy ( Phleum sp. , Poaceae ), turnip ( Brassica napus L., Brassicaceae ), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L., Fabaceae ), clover ( Trifolium sp. , Fabaceae ), flax ( Linum sp. , Linaceae ), and strawberry ( Fragaria sp. , Rosaceae ) ( Godfrey 1972). The larva is illustrated in Wagner (2005).

MAP 34. Collecting localities of Mythimna unipuncta .

Figures

FIGURES 57–64. Adults. 57, Leucania scirpicola, m, Florida, Highlands Co., Lake Placid, Archbold Biological Station, 5 Apr. 1962, D.C. Ferguson; 58, Leucania ursula, m, Tennessee, Blount Co., Campsite 6 along Scott Mtn. Trail, 3324 ft., 5 Aug. 2003, M.G. Pogue, USNMENT 00219091; 59, Mythimna unipuncta, f, North Carolina, Swain Co., 3.3 mi NE Clingmans Dome parking lot, on Fork Ridge Trail, 5780 ft., 4 June 2003, M.G. Pogue, USNMENT 00155405; 60, Mythimna unipuncta, f, North Carolina, Swain Co., 1.2 mi NE Clingmans Dome parking lot, Noland Divide Trail, 6000 ft., 30 July 2003, M.G. Pogue, USNMENT 00156724; 61, Homorthodes furfurata, f, California, Del Norte Co., Rowdy Creek Road, 6 mi E Smith River, ca. 2000 ft., 25 July 1990, D.C. Ferguson; 62, Homorthodes furfurata, f, Canada, Nova Scotia, Hunts Co., Smiley Brook Prov. Park, nr. Brooklyn, 20 July 1970, D.C. Ferguson; 63, Homorthodes furfurata, f, South Dakota, Pennington Co., Hill City, Joe Dollar Gulch, 13 July 1964, D.C. Ferguson; 64, Homorthodes lindseyi, f, New Jersey, Ocean Co., Lake Hurst, 11 Aug. 1920, F. Lemmer.