ARS | Publication request: The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A.

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 8, 2009
Publication Date: February 26, 2010
Citation: Pogue, M.G. 2010. The Hadeninae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A.. Zootaxa. 2380:1-75.

Interpretive Summary: Cutworm moths are major agricultural pests causing billions of dollars of damage annually. The hadenines or armyworm moths are major agricultural pests on numerous crops such as cabbage, soybeans, alfalfa, lettuce, and most other vegetable crops. In this paper the species of armyworm moths are documented for Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). These include new records and georeferenced distributional data for GSMNP. This information will be useful for the biological inventory being conducted in GSMNP, educational programs within GSMNP and in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina school districts, and for land management decisions within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Technical Abstract: Fifty-one species of Hadeninae are recorded from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina, U.S.A. Of the six hadenine tribes, five are present in the Park. They include 12 species of Orthosiini, one species of Tholerini, eight species of Hadenini, nine species of Leucaniini, and 17 species of Eriopygini. A total of 142 localities were collected across the Park. The three most diverse localities in the Park were Purchase Knob with 40 species, Big Cove Road with 31 species, and Foothills Parkway with 22 species. The most wide spread species in the Park was Pseudorthodes vecors from 52 localities. The most abundant species was Polia detracta with 199 specimens. Images of adults, description/diagnosis, flight period, collected localities, abundance, elevational range, general distribution, and larval hosts are presented for each species.