Leucania scirpicola Guenée Scirpus Wainscot, 1852

Pogue, Michael G., 2010, The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA 2380, Zootaxa 2380 (1), pp. 1-75 : 37-38

31. Leucania scirpicola Guenée Scirpus Wainscot

( Figs. 56–57 , Map 32)

Identification: Forewing length 15–18 mm. Overall appearance of the forewing is light brown with a gray shading along Cu vein to end of discal cell. There is a small black dot at approximately the middle of the discal cell below vein Cu that can be reduced to a few scales in some specimens. At the end of the discal cell there is a small white spot that can have a few black scales dorsally. Postmedial line consists of a series of more than two and up to seven small black spots. Terminal line consists of a series of minute black dots. Hindwing is white with veins highlighted gray and with a faint gray shading along posterior margin.

Resembles L. phragmatidicola by having a darker brown suffusion in the forewing than L. linda or L. multilinea . The white dot at the end of the discal cell is distinct in L. scirpicola , and barely visible in L. phragmatidicola . Vein Cu in the forewing is gray in L. scirpicola and white in L. phragmatidicola .

Flight period: Late June to early July.

Collected localities: North Carolina : Hayward Co., Purchase Knob at house. Tennessee: Blount Co., Cades Cove , Primitive Baptist Church. (3 specimens)

Elevation range: 4800 ft. (1463 m)

General distribution: This is a southern species ranging from eastern New Jersey south to Florida and west to Texas.

Larval hosts: Larvae obtained from eggs were reared on orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L., Poaceae ) ( Godfrey 1972), but probably feeds on other grasses.

MAP 32. Collecting localities of Leucania scirpicola .

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.

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.