Pangrapta decoralis Hubner, 1818 Decorated Owlet
Creators: name: Pogue, Michael G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Pangrapta
Pangrapta decoralis

description: 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.
description: Published as part of Pogue, Michael G., 2012, The Aventiinae, Boletobiinae, Eublemminae, Pangraptinae, Phytometrinae, and Scolecocampinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Erebidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U. S. A., pp. 1-31 in Zootaxa 3153 on pages 16-17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.279582