''Cherokeea attakullakulla'' is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

in the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family (biology), family of moths. Taxonomically, they are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly ...

and the only species in the genus ''Cherokeea''. It is found in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

(Swain and Macon Counties in the mountains and Rutherford County in the foothills) and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

(Rabun County). The length of the forewings is 9.8–11.7 mm. The forewings are variable, ranging from nearly uniform dull grey to much more contrasting and mottled, especially in females. The antemedial line is excurved, doubled, with pale grey to nearly white filling. It is slightly scalloped and composed of black scales. The medial line or shade is obscure and the postmedial line is sinuous. The basal, medial and terminal areas are predominantly uniform grey, with some reddish-brown scaling in the medial and basal areas in some individuals. The hindwings are pale grey and unmarked except for a faint discal spot. There are two patterns of maculation, mottled and plain. Intermediates are seen as well. Adults have been recorded on wing in June. There is one generation per year. The larvae probably feed on ''

Arundinaria appalachiana ''Arundinaria appalachiana'', commonly known as hill cane, is a woody bamboo native to the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States. The plant was elevated to the species level in 2006 based on new morphological and genetic informa ...

''.

Etymology

The genus name is derived from Cherokee, a Nation of Native American people who occupied the southern Appalachians. The species name refers to the Supreme Cherokee Leader (from 1761–1775) who represented his people in London in 1730 and at home in the Carolinas while negotiating various peace treaties.; 2014: A new apameine genus and species from the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae). ''

ZooKeys ''ZooKeys'' is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal covering zoological taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography. It was established in 2008 and the founding editor-in-chief was Terry Erwin (Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian ...

'', 421: 181-191.

References

Apameini Endemic insects of the United States Monotypic moth genera Noctuoidea genera {{Apameini-stub