Diachrysia balluca

Diachrysia balluca, the green-patched looper, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Geyer in 1832.[1] It is found in north-eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba and south to western North Carolina. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the southern limit of this species.[2] The only other records in the south are from the type locality of Georgia and a record from Liberty County in north-western Florida. These possibly represent strays.[3]

Diachrysia balluca
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Diachrysia
Species:	D. balluca
Binomial name
Diachrysia balluca Geyer, 1832

The wingspan is about 45 mm. Adults are on wing from June to September.

The larvae mostly feed on woody plants, including Humulus lupulus, Populus tremuloides, Laportea canadensis and Rubus.

References

1. McLeod, Robin (April 27, 2013). "Species Diachrysia balluca - Green-patched Looper - Hodges#8897". BugGuide. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
2. Pogue, Michael G. (2005). "The Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1032: 1–28.
3. "931179.00 – 8897 – Diachrysia balluca (Geyer, 1832) – Green-patched Looper Moth". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved December 12, 2020.