Agrotis malefida Guenée, Rascal Dart

Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., Zootaxa 1215 (1), pp. 1-95 : 21

8. Agrotis malefida Guenée, Rascal Dart (adult), Palesided Cutworm (larva)

( Fig. 10)

Identification: Forewing length 18.0–23.0 mm. This is a distinct species with a pale gray forewing ground color and prominent black claviform and reniform spots. Prothoracic collar is black with pale gray tegulae. Hindwing is white in males and in females the veins are gray and the wings are more heavily suffused with gray.

Flight period: In the northern part of its range adults begin emerging in late January; they fly throughout the year in the south ( Lafontaine 2004).

Collected localities: This species is not recorded from the Park, but it is likely to occur there.

General distribution: Mainly southern in distribution from North Carolina and Kentucky south to Florida, west to Arizona, and north to southern Kansas. It is also present in the Neotropics from Mexico to Argentina and Chile ( Lafontaine 2004).

Larval hosts: Polyphagous, prefers broad­leaved herbaceous plants including cabbage ( Brassica oleracea L., Brassicaceae ), clover ( Trifolium sp. , Fabaceae ), beans ( Fabaceae ), onion ( Allium sp. , Liliaceae ), pea ( Pisum sativum L., Fabaceae ), peppers ( Capsicum sp. Solanaceae ), potato ( Solanum tuberosum L., Solanaceae ), tobacco (Nicotania sp., Solanaceae ), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanaceae ), and various weeds; pest of corn ( Zea mays L., Poaceae ) and cotton ( Gossypium sp. , Malvaceae ) ( Lafontaine 2004).