Notes on the status of the Eurasian moths Noctua pronuba and Noctua comes (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

2005·1.2 MB·English

by  Claudia R Copley

J. Entomol. Soc.Brit. Columbia 102,December2005 83
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Notes on the status of the Eurasian moths Noctuapronuba
and Noctua comes (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
CLAUDIA R. COPLEY^ ^ and ROBERT A. CANNINGS^
Two Eurasian cutworm moths comes has been found in the Okanagan Val-
(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Noctua pronuba ley and Lillooet and south to Oregon
(Linnaeus) and Noctua comes (Hiibner), (Lafontaine 1998, J. Troubridge, pers.
both accidentally introduced to North comm.).
America, are now sympatric in southwest- Noctua pronuba has a wingspan of 50-
em British Columbia. The former was first 60 mm and a diagnostic orange-yellow
recorded in Nova Scotia, the latter in Brit- hindwing with a broadblackborder. Images
ish Columbia. This paper reports the occur- of adults and larvae are in Wright (1987),
rence of both species for the first time on Lafontaine (1998), and Neil and Specht
Vancouver Island. They are the only spe- (1987). Noctua comes is similar but nor-
cies of the genus Noctua known in North mally has a black mark near the centre of
America (Lafontaine 1998). the orange ofthe hindwing; genitalia differ-
Noctua pronuba (the large yellow un- ences distinguish the two species unequivo-
derwing) was first reported in North Amer- cally (Lafontaine 1998).
ica inNova Scotia in 1979 (Neil 1981). It is Although A^. pronuba is known to be
now known from every Canadian province migratory and a very strong flier (Passoa
and Nunavut (Troubridge and Lafontaine and HoUingsworth 1996), its spread may
2005) and, in the USA, fromMaine (Wright have been facilitated by human activity. It
1987) to Louisiana (Brou 1997) and Cali- has a wide range of host plants, many of
fornia (Powell 2002). It was first recorded which are part of the horticultural trade,
in BC in 2002 (CNC [Canadian National food-crop industry, or are widespread
Collection of Insects and Arachnids, Ot- weeds. Host plant genera include: Holcus
tawa] data) and is now abundant on eastern (J. Tatum, pers. comm.), Poa and other
Vancouver Island as far north as Sayward grasses (Wright and Neil, 1983), Atriplex,
(RBCM [Royal British Columbia Museum, Chry^santhemum, Dianthus, Fragaria, Free-
Victoria] data) andareas ofthe lowerFraser sia, Gladiolus, Myosotis, Polygonum, Pri-
River Valley (K. Needham, pers. comm.). mula, Ribes, Stellaria, Taraxacum and
Wehave yetto hearofany records from the Viola. Larvae also eat various common
BC Interior. food crops (Passoa and HoUingsworth
Noctua comes (the lesser yellow under- 1996, B. Duncan, pers. comm). Noctua
wing) was first recorded in Canada in Bur- comes has been recorded on Conium, Cor-
naby, BC in August 1982 (Neil 1984) al- nus, Potentilla, Calendula, Cardamine,
though a specimen in the Spencer Entomo- Cirsium, Digitalis, Fragaria, Myosotis,
logical Museum, UBC (University of Brit- Plantago, Primula but, most often, on Ru-
ish Columbia, Vancouver) was collected in mexcrispus (J. Tatum, pers. comm.) as well
Vancouver in July 1982. This species was as tobacco and grapes (Sannino and
first recorded on Vancouver Island in Vic- Espinosa 1999) and Crataegus (Ward
toria in 1990 (PFC [Pacific Forestry Centre, 2003).
Victoria] data) and is now abundant in sub- Life-history details of TV. pronuba are
urban habitats there. Elsewhere in BC A^. reported in Singh and Kevan (1965),
Correspondingauthor,email: [email protected]
W
^RoyalBritishColumbiaMuseum, 675 Belleville Street,Victoria,BC, V8 9W2
84 J.Entomol. Soc.Brit.Columbia 102,December2005
Wright and Neil (1983), Morris (1987), and with humans, A^. pronuba will probably
Passoa and Hollingsworth (1996). In British colonize all ofBC. Adults may lay eggs on
Columbia, N. pronuba will likely exhibit non-plant substrates (B. Duncan, pers.
the Linivoltine life history typical of Euro- comm) or hide during the day in objects
pean and eastern North American popula- around human habitation (although they fly
tions. readily when disturbed), making them good
Each female lays up to 2000 eggs on candidates fortransportby vehicles.
leaf undersides (Morris 1987) or non-host Because of its growing abundance in
substrates (B. Duncan, pers. comm.). Lar- coastalBC, we believe thatA^.pronuba may
vae feed on foliage, crowns and roots of become an economic pest, although in the
hosts; immature larvae usually overwinter long-term, populations will likely be mod-
(Morris 1987), but in coastal BC mature erated by increasing parasitism. Noctua
larvae also do so (B. Duncan, pers. comm.). comes willprobably have a similar future.
Mature larvae pupate in the soil in the We thank Jane Seed, Karen Needham
spring (Passoa and Hollingsworth 1996). and Chris Borkent for data from PFC, UBC
Tachinid flies parasitizeN. pronuba in east- and CNC collections, respectively and the
em North America (J. Troubridge, pers. following colleagues for theirpermission to
comm.), but have not been recorded in BC use their personal communications. Jim
on A^. comes or A^. pronuba (J. Tatum, pers. Troubridge (Agriculture and Agri-Food
comm.). However, Trichogramma wasps Canada, Ottawa, ON) and Karen Needham
parasitize egg masses in the province (B. (UBC, Vancouver, BC) provided informa-
Duncan, pers. comm.). tion on distribution. Jeremy Tatum
As it is a strong, migratory flier (Passoa (University of Victoria, Victoria, BC) and
and Hollingsworth 1996), can endure very Bob Duncan (PFC, Victoria, BC) com-
cold winters (Wright and Neil 1983), and mented on foodplants andlife history.
feeds on a wide array of plants associated
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