Feltia jaculifera (Guenée) Dingy Cutworm Moth

Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1215 (1), pp. 1-95 : 29-30

20. Feltia jaculifera (Guenée) Dingy Cutworm Moth

( Figs. 24–25, Map 15)

Identification: Forewing length 15.0–17.0 mm. Forewing ground color is tan with patches of dark gray basally in area of claviform spot, discal, and terminal areas. Claviform spot is an elongate dark gray spot outlined in black that extends to reniform spot, with two proximal angled white bars. Orbicular spot is cut in half by R vein, white, outlined in black, reniform spot is cream outlined in black. Terminal area has black triangular spots between wing veins. Hindwing is white with gray outer margin and veins in male ( Fig. 24) and gray in female ( Fig. 25). Feltia jaculifera , F. subgothica (Haworth) , and F. tricosa (Lintner) are all similar. Feltia jaculifera appears more streaked than the others.

Flight period: Collected from mid­August to mid­October. Collected localities: North Carolina: Haywood Co., Purchase Knob; Swain Co. , Big Cove Road site c, Big Cove Road site w; Tennessee: Cocke Co. , Foothills Parkway , 2 nd overlook East. (6 specimens) Elevation range: 2030–4924 ft. (619–1501 m)

MAP 15. Collecting localities of Feltia jaculifera .

General distribution: Widespread across North America as far north as Alaska and Yukon and south to Sonora, Mexico ( Lafontaine 2004).

Larval hosts: The larva is very similar to several species in the Feltia subgothica (Haworth) species complex, including F. jaculifera , F. subgothica , and F. tricosa . Lafontaine (2004) refers the following hosts to F. jaculifera : alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L., Fabaceae ), clover ( Trifolium sp. , Fabaceae ), flax (Flax sp., Linaceae ), “garden produce,” oats ( Avena sp. Poaceae ), raspberry ( Rubus idaeus L., Rosaceae ), tobacco (Nicotania sp., Solanaceae ), and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L., Poaceae ), though the actual host list is probably larger.