Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Datana integerrima Grote
(1) & Robinson, 1866
Phylogenetic sequence # 930038
(2) Numbers
Lafontaine & Schmidt (2010) listed 13 species of the genus
Datana in America north of Mexico.
(2)Identification
Distinguished from other eastern Datana by its bold dark-and-light banding pattern. The PM line and the two median lines are shaded along their outer edges with pale scales, producing this banded look.
Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD).
(3)
Range
Heppner (2003) reported the range to include Quebec to Florida
(4), Minnesota to Texas.
(5)
Records from Arizona refer to D. cochise, which used to be conspecific with D. integerrima.
Season
The main flight period is April to October.
(6)
Heppner (2003) reported April, July to September, November in Florida.
(5)Food
Larvae feed on hickories, pecan, and walnut.
Life Cycle
One generation in northern part of range, up to three in southern.
Egg laying begins in early June. They are laid in masses on the undersides of leaves. The larvae feed in colonies, congregating on the trunk and larger limbs to molt. Full-grown larvae drop to the ground and wander about searching for pupation sites in the soil.
(7)See Also
In southern Arizona, Datana cochise, which is extremely similar to D. integerrima, replaces this species.
In the East, the only species that could be confused with D. integerrima is D. contracta. D. contracta tends to have some golden-orange shading along the costa, a heavy peppering of black scales over the entire forewings, and the pale shading along the median lines only present at the inner margin, not reaching the costa.
Print References
Covell, p. 329, plate 43 #10 (adult)
(8)
Wagner,
Caterpillars of Eastern Forests, p. 56--larva
(9)
Wagner,
Caterpillars of Eastern North America, p. 295--photo of adult (specimen) and caterpillar
(10)
Holland, p. 294, plate XL #13
(11)
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler, Moths of Western North America, pl. 33, fig. 52; p. 249.
(12)