Feltia tricosa (Lintner)

Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1215 (1), pp. 1-95 : 32-33

23. Feltia tricosa (Lintner)

( Figs. 28–29, Map 18)

Identification: Forewing length 16.0–20.0 mm. Feltia tricosa is similar to F. subgothica in forewing color and pattern, but slightly larger. The apex of the spine­like setae of each antennal segment in the male of F. tricosa is curved and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the antenna. In contrast, the apex of the spine­like setae in males of F. subgothica is not curved and is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the antenna. Unlike F. subgothica , the hindwing in the male of F. tricosa is entirely dark; that of the female is darker than in F. subgothica .

Flight period: Collected from mid­August to mid­September.

Collected localities: North Carolina: Haywood Co., Purchase Knob at house; Swain Co. , Big Cove Road site b, Ravensford . Tennessee: Blount Co., Cold Spring Gap; Cocke Co. , Cosby campground area; Sevier Co. , Park Headquarters , 6 mi S of Sugarlands Visitor Center. (10 specimens)

MAP 18. Collecting localities of Feltia tricosa .

Elevation range: 1480–4800 ft. (451–1463 m)

General distribution: This is mainly an eastern North American species, distributed from southeastern Canada south to northern Georgia, and west to Kansas. There are two disjunct populations: one in central Texas and another in the western Great Plains of Montana ( Lafontaine 2004).

Larval hosts: Reported hosts are unreliable because of the similarity of the larva with those of F. jaculifera and F. subgothica ( Lafontaine 2004) .