Spaelotis clandestina (Harris) Clandestine Dart

Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1215 (1), pp. 1-95 : 57-58

24. Spaelotis clandestina (Harris) Clandestine Dart (adult), W­marked Cutworm (larva)

( Fig. 65, Map 42)

Identification: Forewing length 16.0–22.0 mm. This is a drab species with a narrow forewing and reduced pattern. Forewing ground color is grayish brown. The forewing pattern varies from faint orbicular and reniform spots to faint antemedial and postmedial lines. Orbicular and reniform spots are ground color mixed with a few white scales and partially outlined in black, with the orbicular being more distinct. Antemedial and postmedial lines, when present, are a series of contiguous dark brown zigzag lines. Hindwing is dirty white suffused with brown toward margin and with highlighted veins.

Flight period: Collected from May to October.

Collected localities: North Carolina: Haywood Co., Purchase Knob at house, Purchase Knob , Purchase house 1 mi SE off Purchase Road ; Swain Co. , Big Cove Road site c. (5 specimens)

MAP 42. Collecting localities of Spaelotis clandestina .

Elevation range: 2080–4924 ft. (634–1501 m)

General distribution: This is a widespread species distributed from coast to coast across Canada to southern Alaska , and in the eastern United States from Maine to western North Carolina, west to northern Ohio to North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and down the Rockies from Montana to southern Arizona ( Lafontaine 1998) .

Larval hosts: The W­marked cutworm is a pest on a variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, including blueberry ( Vaccinium spp. , Ericaceae ) ( Vaccinium spp. ), maple ( Acer sp. ), pine ( Pinus sp. , Pinaceae ), beans ( Fabaceae ), cabbage ( Brassica oleracea L., Brassicaceae ), corn ( Zea mays L. Poaceae ), apple ( Malus sp. , Rosaceae ), and strawberry ( Fragaria sp. , Rosaceae ) ( Tietz 1972).