Catocala bastropi
kah-TOCK-uh-lahMBAGH-strop-eye
Kons & Borth, 2017

Catocala louiseae (more likely bastropi), male, Louisiana, courtesy of Vernon A. Brou.

The moth from Louisiana is much more likely the recently (Kons & Borth, 2017), described Catoala bastropi from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Specimens originally identified as louiseae from those four states are more likely Catocala bastropi.

DISTRIBUTION:

Catocala Kons & Borth, Bastrop Underwing, (wingspan: mm) flies in Texas: Bastrop County; Angelina County; Louisiana: Nachitoches Parish; Missouri: Genevieve County; Arkansas: Lincoln Counnty; and Oklahoma: Pittsburg.

I think Catocala bastropi is probably limited to the five states listed above, and the very similar Catocala louiseae is probably limited to North Carolina, South Carolina (unconfirmed), Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

There is a distinct white "smile" (in spread specimens) between the reniform and subreniform spots. There is also a narrow but distinct white line immediately following the black postmedial line. The hindwing is a deep yellow orange and the outer black band is interrupted and then followed by a dot, ending before the inner margin. The specimen to the right, likely from Georgia courtesy of James Adams, is probably Catocala louiseae.

Unless location is known, DNA analysis is probably necessary to distinguish bastropi from louiseae.

Much more detailed information and many images are available in "A New Species of Catocala (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the South Central United States" by Hugo L. Kons, Jr. and Robert J. Borth. I am pretty sure this is a 2017 publication.

There is also another unnamed phenotype with a wider range from Massachusetts to Texas. It seems more coastal in the various collecting locales which include states with either louiseae or bastropi. Identifying Catocala just got a little more difficult!

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala bastropi are usually on the wing in May and June.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala bastropi females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited on tree bark in the fall and hatch the following spring.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive, although some species seem very host specific. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Vaccinium .......

Blueberry

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