Euxoa tessellata Tessellate Dart

• Main Author: Pogue, Michael G.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2006
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae; Euxoa; Euxoa tessellata; Newfoundland; Alaska
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5066527; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/2254ED3CBF77FFCB5A77FC90343A4C20

17. Euxoa tessellata (Harris) Tessellate Dart (adult), Striped Cutworm (larva) (Fig. 20) Identification: Forewing length 13.0–18.0 mm. Forewing ground color is dark brown with a faint pattern. Orbicular and reniform spots are lighter than ground color and at least partially outlined with black. A small triangular black patch is proximal to the orbicular spot and a larger trapezoidal black patch lies between orbicular and reniform spots. Claviform spot is absent. Hindwing color is dirty white to light brown; costa, outer margin, and veins are dark. There are several forms of this species in eastern North America. The most common forms have reddish brown or gray forewings. A less common form lacks the black shading near the orbicular spot which could be confused with E. messoria and E. pleuritica . This form of E. tessallata has faint or indistinct forewing markings as compared with the more heavily marked forewings of E. messoria and E. pleuritica . Flight period: Early June to late September, with most records from late June to early August (Lafontaine 1987). Collected Localities: This species is not recorded from the Park, but it is likely to occur there. General distribution: This is the most widespread species of Euxoa , occurring across North America from Newfoundland west to Alaska and south to North Carolina, Kansas, central New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California (Lafontaine 1987). Larval hosts: This is a climbing cutworm, and larvae are a pest on tobacco ( Nicotania sp., Solanaceae), garden crops, and woody shrubs including cherry ( Prunus avium (L.) L., Rosaceae), apple ( Malus sp., Rosaceae), and pear ( Pyrus sp., Rosaceae) (Lafontaine 1987). Published as part of Pogue, Michael G., 2006, The Noctuinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., pp. 1-95 in Zootaxa 1215 (1) on page 27, DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.1215.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5064764