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Title: The Acontiinae and Eublemminae of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Author
item Pogue, Michael

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2010
Publication Date: 6/9/2010
Citation: Pogue, M.G. 2010. The Acontiinae and Eublemminae of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Zootaxa. 2499:1-20.

Interpretive Summary: Cutworm moths are major agricultural pests causing billions of dollars of damage annually. Fourteen species representing two subfamilies of moths have been documented in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Several species from these two subfamilies are known to be pests on numerous forest trees and shrubs. These include new records and georeferenced distributional data for GSMNP. Species accumulation curves were calculated for each group and all were found to have the maximum number of species present in GSMNP. This information will be useful for the biological inventory and educational programs being conducted 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: Five species of Acontiinae, 13 species of Eustrotiinae, and eight species of Eublemminae are known to occur in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each species is documented with an adult image, description/diagnosis, flight period, park distribution, abundance, elevational range, general distribution, and larval hosts. Species accumulation curves using the abundance-based estimators Chao 1 and ACE, and the incidence-based estimators Chao 2 and ICE are presented for each subfamily. The results from these estimators indicate that the number of species observed is equal to or very close to the number of estimated species and, therefore, it is unlikely that additional species will be added to the fauna of GSMNP in these subfamilies.