Leucania ursula (Forbes) Ursula Wainscot

Pogue, Michael G., 2010, The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA 2380, Zootaxa 2380 (1), pp. 1-75 : 38-39

32. Leucania ursula (Forbes) Ursula Wainscot

( Fig. 58 , Map 33)

Identification: Forewing length 13–17 mm. Leucania ursula has the same bushy male foretibial scaling as in L. pseudargyria . The forewing and hindwing coloration and pattern is the same as in L. pseudargyria , except there is a more of a ferruginous cast to the forewing ground color in L. pseudargyria , and in L. ursula the forewing is more grayish brown.

MAP 33. Collecting localities of Leucania ursula .

Leucania ursula can be separated from L. pseudargyria by its smaller size. Leucania inermis lacks the bushy male foretibia present in L. pseudargyria and L. ursula .

Flight period: May and August, two broods annually.

Collected localities: North Carolina : Haywood Co., Cataloochee, Purchase Knob at lower creek, Purchase Knob at house, Purchase Knob 1.1 rd. mi from house; Swain Co., Big Cove Road site b, Big Cove Road site p, Ravensford , Smokemont . Tennessee: Blount Co., along Scott Mountain Trail campsite 6, Tremont , Cades Cove at Forge Creek Road , Cades Cove Loop at Abrams Creek , Cades Cove at Abrams Creek ; Cocke Co. , Cosby Ranger Station . (20 specimens)

Elevation range: 1390–4000 ft. (424–1219 m)

General distribution: This is an eastern species from Ontario in Canada and in the U.S. from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Iowa and Missouri.

Larval hosts: Forbes (1954) listed honeysuckle ( Lonicera sp. , Caprifoliaceae ). Larvae obtained from eggs were reared on crabgrass ( Digitaria sp. , Poaceae ) ( Godfrey 1972).

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.