The Aventiinae, Boletobiinae, Eublemminae, Pangraptinae, Phytometrinae, and Scolecocampinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Erebidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A.
Author
Pogue, Michael G.
text
Zootaxa
2012
3153
1
31
journal article
45706
10.5281/zenodo.279582
155cefd2-7fbd-4482-9f7d-bcc96d645bb7
1175-5326
279582
2.
Pangrapta decoralis
Hübner, 1818 Decorated Owlet
(
Figs. 20–24
, Map 12)
Identification.
Forewing length 11.0–13.0 mm.
Pangrapta decoralis
has a light brown forewing with an indistinct, crenulate, dark brown antemedial line. Orbicular spot is indistinct to absent, when present it is a faint area of reddish-brown scales. Reniform spot is well developed with a black center surrounded by white scales that are inundated with reddish-brown scales. Postmedial line is a broad band of black and reddish-brown scales that is angulate toward outer margin at reniform spot. There is a white triangular patch adjacent to the postmedial line, distally on the costa. A variably distinct, white triangular patch is present at the apex of the forewing. Subterminal area consists of an area of reddish-brown scales below the white costal triangle to below the reniform spot; then becomes an area of gray scales that tends to become whiter as it reaches the posterior margin. Terminal line is a thin, scalloped, black line. Fringe consists of a yellowish-brown initial row of scales, a thin black line, and a row of shorter, dirty white scales tipped with black.
Hind
wing is similarly patterned to the forewing with the antemedial line and postmedial band extending on to the hind wing. A small, black discal spot is present between the antemedial and postmedial lines. Fringe as in the forewing, but more scalloped.
MAP 12.
Collecting localities of
Pangrapta decoralis
.
Flight period.
Late April to early September.
Collected localities.
North Carolina: Haywood Co.:
0.72 mi
from Mt. Sterling trailhead on Mt. Sterling trail; Cataloochee, just off paved road to Cosby; Cataloochee, pull off at Sal Patch Gap; Cove Creek Rd.; Piney Mt.; Purchase Knob; Purchase Knob nr. 1st gate; Purchase Knob, at house; Purchase Knob,
0.5 mi
N of gate; Purchase Knob, on road in meadow; Purchase Knob, by Ferguson cabin; Purchase Knob, NW of house, forest; Swain Co.: Beetree Ridge; Big Cove Rd., site b, site c, site p, site w;
0.4 km
up trail from lake on Forney Creek; Thomas Divide trail,
13.5 mi
NE of GSMNP ent. on 441; Deep Creek trail,
15.2 mi
NE of GSMNP ent. on 441; Kephart Prong trail,
8.3 mi
NW of GSMNP ent. on 441; Hazel Creek, Proctor Cemetery; Hazel Creek, below Bradshaw Cemetery;
0.2 km
W of mouth of Hazel Creek;
0.5 km
from mouth of Chambers Creek,
300 ft
. up hillside on NW side;
0.7 km
up creek from mouth of Goldmine Creek;
0.7 km
S of Payne Cemetery; Smokemont;
0.2 mi
NE of Twentymile Ranger Station;
300 feet
above lake on Welch Ridge. Tennessee: Blount Co.: Cades Cove Ranger Station; Campsite 6, Scott Mountain trail, head of spring; Campsite 6, along Scott Mountain trail; Campsite 6, Scott Mountain trail at creek; Gregory Bald; Tremont; Cocke Co.:
0.6 mi
from state Rt. 32 on road to Cosby Campground; Albright Grove trailhead; Cosby ATBI house; 1/
4 mi
inside entrance to Cosby; Cosby Ranger Station; Cosby picnic area off Gabes Mountain trail; Foothills Parkway; Foothills Parkway,
2.1 mi
W Hwy. 321; Foothills Parkway, 2nd pullout; Foothills Parkway East,
1.3 mi
N of 321; Foothills Parkway, 1st parking lot near Cosby; Foothills Parkway East at
I-40
; Maddron Bald trail; Sevier Co.: Laurel falls trail; E of Campsite #20; Campsite #20, nr. creek; Jake’s Creek trail; Campsite #27, Jake’s Creek trail; Jake’s Creek trail, nr. Campsite #27; Jake’s Creek trail, above Campsite #27; Elkmont; Elkmont, Jake’s Creek; Greenbrier,
2.6 mi
from state Rt. 321; Greenbrier covered picnic area,
3.5 mi
S Rt. 321; Road Prong trail,
1.3 mi
W of Jct. 441 & Clingmans Dome Rd. (
155 specimens
)
Elevation range.
1330–5260 ft
. (
405–1603 m
)
General distribution.
An eastern North American species from Nova
Scotia
and Quebec in
Canada
. In the
U.S.
it is distributed from Maine to Florida and west to Minnesota, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Larval hosts.
Various species of blueberry, including lowbush blueberry (
Vaccinium angustifolium
Aiton
,
Ericaceae
) and highbush blueberry (
Vaccinium corymbosum
L.) (
Tietz 1972
). David Wagner also reared
P. decoralis
on sourwood (
Oxydendrum arboreum
(L.) DC.,
Ericaceae
) from Tennessee, Cocke Co., Cosby, jct. Foothills Parkway East and
I-40
. One larva was collected on
20 June 2001
and an adult emerged on
16 July
. Eric Metzler (unpublished data) also found larvae to be abundant on sourwood in southeastern Ohio.