Homorthodes furfurata (Grote) Scurfy Quaker

Pogue, Michael G., 2010, The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA 2380, Zootaxa 2380 (1), pp. 1-75 : 40-41

34. Homorthodes furfurata (Grote) Scurfy Quaker

( Figs. 61–63 , Map 35)

Identification: Forewing length 10–12 mm. This is a variable species with the forewing ground color from dark brown to ferruginous brown. Costa has a series of short, cream-colored dashes from middle to apex. A prominent black spot is at end of discal cell. Postmedial line is a series of small black spots from below the R vein to posterior border. The Cu and A veins are subtly highlighted by black and white scales. Veins of hindwing are highlighted gray with the ground color varying from white with indistinct gray marginal band to almost completely gray.

This species can easily be differentiated from H. lindseyi by having a dark brown to ferruginous brown forewing with a black spot at the end of the discal cell. In H. lindseyi the forewing is bright ferruginous and there are two small white spots at the end of the discal cell.

MAP 35. Collecting localities of Homorthodes furfurata .

Flight period: Early June to mid-October, double brooded.

Collected localities: North Carolina : Haywood Co., Purchase Knob at house, Purchase Knob NW of house, Purchase Knob, Purchase Knob at lower creek, Cataloochee, uphill from pull off across road, Mt. Sterling trail 0.72 mi from Mt. Sterlig trailhead. (13 specimens)

Elevation range: 3480–4924 ft. (1061–1501 m)

General distribution: Widespread across North America from coast to coast.

Larval hosts: The only information available about the larval hosts is that larvae were offered living and dead leaves of maple ( Acer sp. , Aceraceae ), oak ( Quercus sp. , Fagaceae ), cherry ( Prunus sp. , Rosaceae ), and Indian plum ( Oemleria cerasiformis (Torr. & A. Gray ex Hook & Arn.) Landon , Rosaceae ), but only accepted common dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. , Asteraceae ). Only two larvae reached maturity but did not survive to become adults ( Neil 1983). The preferred host of this species can still be considered unknown.

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.