Catocala of Maryland

Midsized Orange-Salmon-Red-Scarlet Underwings: Wingspans: 50-72mm ** 8857 Catocala ultronia; Ultronia Underwing, wingspan: 50-63mm. Fws typically gray-brown, with a distinct and very dark inner margin and characteristic light brown patch, underscored by very dark arc, near wingtip. Underwings can be yellow to orange to salmon. ** 8857 Catocala ultronia form lucinda; Ultronia Underwing, wingspan: 50-63mm. In form lucinda most of the forewing is bright grey. On all forms there is extensive orange-salmon colouration on hw ventral surface, and there is a dark discal lunule. Catocala ultronia, form nigrescens, the Ultronia Underwing, wingspan: 50-63mm. In the melanic form nigrescens, the dorsal forewing is very dark. Even darker subapical arc, basal dash and dash near anal angle are still visible. Dark basal hairs on hindwing. Harold J. Vermes slide, used with permission from his son. Catocala ultronia form celia. In form celia there is a wide, light grey band separating a dark region along inner margin and a dark patch near the apex. The ventral surface of forewings of all forms has a generous suffusion of orange-salmon scales in the lower half of the median area. ** 8779 serena Serene Underwing unconfirmed The head and collar and abdomen are brown while the thorax is grey. The am and pm lines are thin but very dark and distinct on an otherwise drab, almost uniformly olive-grey forewing. The black marginal band of the lower wings is indented at the center, and the relatively narrow, deep yellow median band parallels this indentation. Basal hairs are brown. Catocala serena courtesy of Carroll Rudy, July 28, Calumet County. #8778 Catocala habilis; wingspan: 55-65mm: Note large thoracis "M" and "pork chop" shaped, light subreniform spot becoming very dark in constriction at juncture with narrow, dark, distinct pm line. Pm line is outwardly lined with narrow suffusion of white scales, followed by broader brown scaled band, then another broader suffusion of white scales up to very regular dentation of subterminal line. There is always significant "bleeding" of yellow-orange to salmon scales into hw fringes. Large reniform spot has brown center, faintly edged with black, then white, then black again. #8817 briseis unconfirmed ; Briseis Underwing; wingspan: 60-70mm: Fws are predominantly mottled dark-grey-brown with some lighter areas 1) between postmedial and subterminal lines, 2) at very base of antemedial and postmedial lines along inner margin, and 3) over subreniform spot running diagonally toward costa. Pm lines do not have greatly elongated and sharly pointed "teeth" near apex. Hw fringe is white and unbroken and inner black band (fairly even) reaches inner margin. #8795 Catocala palaeogama ; wingspan: 60-70mm Subreniform spot is closed, does not approach pm line, and is smaller than in C. habilis. All forms have characteristic orange, heavily barred fringe to the apex, and irregular bands on hindwings. The hw basal median area is heavily suffused with dark brown to black scales. There is a dark bar in outer half of median area, paralleling the inner margin halfway between inner margin and light, closed subreniform spot. Joe Garris photo. #8795 Catocala palaeogama form phalanga; wingspan: 60-70mm. In this form, the forewing basal area and subterminal area are very dark against a much lighter background. The dark bar in the outer half of the median area, paralleling the inner margin halfway between the inner margin and the light, closed subreniform spot is especially evident. Joe Garris image. ** 8770 Catocala innubens; Betrothed; 55-72mm. Forewing is mottled with white, grey and brown, and subrenifrom spot tends to be lighter in colour, although it is sometimes obscured by an indistinct blackish bar which runs from middle of basal/thorax connection to just below much lighter apex at outer margin. Jim Vargo image. ** 8770 Catocala innubens form scintillans; Betrothed; 55-72mm. In form scintillans most of the basal area (all but lower third) and all of the median area of the forewing is dark reddish brown. The area outside the pm line is grey. Vernon A Brou image. ** 8851 Catocala coccinata; Scarlet; wingspan: 57-70mm: There are usually diffuse basal and anal dashes on an otherwise light grey, mottled fw. Hw fringe is white (often with some salmon scaling) and is heavily checked. I find "tooth" just below pair of very elongated "teeth" is much reduced and is quite rounded, usually allowing considerable room for lighter patch of scales. Dark bar crosses thorax. Reniform spot tends be to light, often with greenish cast. Joe Garris image.

Solid Black Underwings: Smallest to Largest, Similar Species Paired miranda, Miranda Underwing; 37-45mm; unconfirmed; Fw: plain pale grey with very light and fine black lines, darker and wider near costa. Hw black with white fringe at the apex, turning to grey along the outer margin. Miranda is smaller than look-alike orba and miranda also has a dark bar just above the inner margin in the median area, projecting toward the anal angle. Catocala andromedae, Gloomy Underwing, (wingspan: 40-50mm). Black underwings and dark grey fringe of hws, coupled with dark inner margin of forewings help to identify this species. There is also a very dark "flying saucer" shape, adjoining subreniform spot to midpoint of am line. The "teeth" of pm line short and blunt, outwardly edged with white. Subterminal line is also outwardly edged with white. ** 8781 judith, Judith's Underwing, (wingspan: 45-55mm), is one of the smaller "black" underwings. Fw: uniform light grey with thin and only slightly darkened antemedial, median and postmedial lines. There are no darkened dashes (slight anal dash) or transverse lines. The reniform area is slightly darkened while the area just before the subterminal line is a bit lighter. Note absence of hw white fringe. Joe Garris photo. ** 8782 Catocala flebilis; Mournful, wingspan: 54-65mm. Diffuse black band runs from basal area to outer margin just below apex, interrupted by pale grey subreniform spot. Reniform spot filled with brown; additional brown outside pm line. No anal dash as there is in angusi. Hws have white fringe. J. K. Adams image. ** 8773 Catocala epione , yes; Epione Underwing, wingspan: 55-65mm The pm line is squared and has a brown band and then a light band just outside the line. The hindwing is black with pure white fringe with no barring. John Himmelman image. Catocala residua, Residua Underwing, yes, (wingspan: 58-73mm), Distinguished from C. obscura by grey hindwing fringe of residua. C. obscura has white to off-white fringe, tends to be less common in northern portions of its range. Fw subterminal line/area of C. residua tends to be pale as is its open, elongated subreniform spot. Devoid of significant markings except for hint of dark bar running from basal area through reniform spot to om just below apex. Catocala dejecta; Dejected; wingspan 56-73mm. Pale grey patch from reniform and subreniform juncture to costal margin is diagnostic. Note open, light "pork chop" shape of subreniform spot. Two "teeth" in pml above subreniform spot are relatively short and blunt. Upper portion of aml thick and black; lower half has light rounded lobes outlined in black. Hw fringe is white with black wing veins extending like "teeth". Catocala retecta; wingspan: 60-75mm Note light coloured, elongated, open subreniform spot which interrupts dark, diffuse ark running through center of wing from basal area (body-wing juncture) to forewing apex. Center of reniform spot is brown and there is brown area just below costa, running to inner margin just outside pm line. The off-white hindwing fringe is only lightly checked along the wing veins. Joe Garris image. ** 8784 obscura unconfirmed; Obscure Underwing, (wingspan: 60-72mm), Dull, grey fws, usually void of significant dashes or streaks. Am, median and pm lines faint; subterminal line region slightly paler than rest of fw. Hw fringe off-white, lightly checked on veins. Joe Garris photo. ** 8794 Catocala lacrymosa; Tearful Underwing, wingspan: 60-82mm. The forewing is highly variable with a mixture of black, brown (wing tips and outside postmedial line) and dark grey scaling. There are usually whitish crescents, along the inner margin at the base of the antemedial and postmedial lines. The hindwings are black with white checkered fringe, turning black near the anal angle. ** 8791 Catocala insolabilis unconfirmed; Inconsolable, wingspan: 65-75mm. Fw light grey with blackish shading along inner margin. Antemedial and postmedial lines thin. Hw fringe is very narrow and grey, becoming whiter toward the apex. The ventral surface clearly distinguishes insolabis, being almost completely black except for some white in the basal area. Vernon A. Brou image. ** 8780 Catocala robinsoni; 70-80mm; Fws relatively plain pale grey. Female has basal dash, absent in male. Currata French, 1882, is female form, having weak basal dash. Rare form missouriensis Schwarz, 1915, has dark, broad bar extending from basal area to om just below apex. Lighter grey rnfm and subrnfm spots break bar in missouriensis, found from PA to FL. White fringe on hindwings; prominent bands on ventral surface. ** 8792 Catocala vidua; Widow; wingspan: 70-80mm. Fw ground colour light grey. Distinguished dark arc running through top of reniform spot to just below apex. Heavy, dark anal and basal dashes, connecting to dark median bar, running parallel to inner margin. The am line is thick and black in its upper half. Reniform spot consists of two almost concentric irregular ovals. Subreniform spot light, open, but constricted as it meets pm line. Hw is black with broad, white fringe, only lightly interrupted. Marie Winn image. ** 8793 Catocala maestosa SM, Sad Underwing, wingspan: 78-98mm. Maesotsa is quite similar to, although usually larger than, vidua. Both have the dark arc from the costa, above the reniform spot, to the outer margin just below the apex. Maesotsa, however, lacks the dark bar, found on vidua, parallel to the inner margin. The reniform spot is brown and there is brown shading just outside the postmedial line. The hindwing fringe is white, narrow and heavily barred.

** 8803 Catocala relicta ; Forsaken, White, Relict; 70-80mm: Considerable variation with regard to black/white concentrations on fws. Typical specimens have basal and subterminal areas with blackish scales. Black hws, with brilliant even white inner band and white fringe, are distinctive. June until October.

** 8803 Catocala relicta ; Forsaken, White, Relict; 70-80mm: Considerable variation with regard to black/white concentrations on fws. Form clara: basal and subterminal areas predominantly white. Typical specimens have basal and subterminal areas with blackish scales. Black hws, with brilliant even white inner band and white fringe, are distinctive. June until October.

** 8803 Catocala relicta ; Forsaken, White, Relict; 70-80mm: Considerable variation with regard to black/white concentrations on fws. Form phrynia: evenly dusted with grey over entire forewing. Typical specimens have basal and subterminal areas with blackish scales. Black hws, with brilliant even white inner band and white fringe, are distinctive. June until October, poplars and willows

** 8802 Catocala cerogama; Yellow-Banded; 70-80mm. Several different forms. Pm line distinct, dark and has elongate pair of projections. Pm and am lines meet inner margin in relative proximity. Closed subreniform spot lighter than surrounding areas, shaped a bit like an arrowhead with point toward body. Hws are distinctive. Jean-Benoît Duval image.

** 8802 Catocala cerogama; Yellow-Banded; 70-80mm. Form ruperti: Forewings are almost uniform grey-brown with white scales outlining subterminal line. The hindwings are distinctive. Tim Dyson image.

** 8802 Catocala cerogama; Yellow-Banded; 70-80mm. Form bunkeri: Forewings are dark in median and basal areas. Hw golden band is reduced in thickness. Basal hairs are brown instead of yellow. The hindwings are distinctive. Tim Dyson image.

Large Orange-Salmon Underwings: Wingspans: 65mm, usually 70-95mm ** 8801 Catocala ilia; Ilia; wingspan: 65-82mm Catocala ilia specimens come in several different forms, but most of them have the characteristic white area in and around the reniform spot. There is also a diffuse dark arc running from this spot to just below the outer apex. Except in worn specimens and the darkest forms, the white dots near the outer margin of the forewing are in character with the overall "contrasting" appearance of this moth. ** 8801 Catocala ilia; Ilia; form conspicua. In this form the entire reniform spot is heavily suffused with white scaling on an otherwise darker ground colour. Hence the form name "conspicua". Tim Dyson image. ** 8801 Catocala ilia; Ilia; form satanas. In this melanic form the entire forewing, including the reniform spot is very dark. Hence the form name "satanas". The dark basal streak is still evident on this form. Tim Dyson image. ** 8801 Catocala ilia; Ilia; form normani. In this semi-melanic form the entire forewing, excluding the reniform spot, is relatively dark. The brownish, kidney-shaped center of the reniform spot is outlined in white. Tim Dyson image. ** 8857.1 Catocala umbrosa; mm; Double brown am line, inward line fainter, filled with off white; reniform spot brown center outlined in black , off white and black again; subreniform, large, pale brown, closed. Pm line wit htwo elongated upper teeth, next tooth reduced, next two progressively longer, rounded, final lobe rounded and shorter. HW with dark scaling/hairs in basal median area along im Catocala muliercula; Little Wife Underwing; Dark, distinct upper half am line runs obliquely toward anal angle, turns in two lobes to im; basal area dark brown; inner brown kidney shaped reniform spot, oulined in black then light then black again; open, lighter subreniform spot with light area from it to costa; median area greyish-blue-brown; subterminal area brown; terminal area greyish-blue-brown; lighter patch at apex. Hw dark bands thick, much dark scaling in basal area covering two thirds of region, joining inner black band to im. ** 8771 Catocala piatrix ; Penitent, wingspan: 68-84mm. Fw: light-colored band/bar extending from light coloured, triangular subreniform spot along the am line to the costa. Brown, kidney-shaped reniform spot surrounded in pale grey, outlined in black, usually with distinct black along wing veins in a dark area outside the reniform spot. Hw: fringe lightly barred;s lighter in color than deeper orange on rest of wing. ** 8805 unijuga unconfirmed; Once-married; wingspan: 70-90mm. Fairly wide black inner band (almost reaching inner margin) in hindwing and very distinctive patterning in fw. Meskei tend to have a narrower band and a dustier (less distinct) looking forewing. Semirelicta tend to have inner bands that terminate well before inner margins. Also note the very white fringe on both the forewings and hindwings. Carroll Rudy image. ** 8806 Catocala parta; Mother Underwing, 70-85mm. The black dashes in the basal, subapical and anal areas help to identify this species. The hindwings may be yellow to yellowish-orange but more often are salmon-red. Note the face-head-like markings on the thorax. In the hindwing, the first (nearest the apex) black protrusion into the white fringe is "noticeably" larger than the others. ** 8798 Catocala neogama; 70-85mm. Note brown head & thorax & larger size compared to C. palaeogama. Slightly smaller than subnata, darker grey brown fws with more pronounced markings. Examination of hind tibia sometimes needed for identification. Neogama tibia tend to be flattened and unevenly and sparsely spined while subnata tibia are cylindrical with spines dense and uniform in distribution. Joe Garris photo. ** 8797 Catocala subnata; Youthful Underwing, 75-90mm. Fws greyish white with blue-grey and light brown scales. Catocala subnata usually have hws brighter yellow than neogama. Neogama usually have basal dash; absent in male subnata, but present in females. Magnification of hind tibia helps to distinguish the two species: subnata: cylindrical; neogama: compressed or flattened. subnata: ventral surface of tibia densely covered with evenly distributed spines; neogama: ventral surface of tibia sparsely covered with sporadic spines. ** 8796 Catocala nebulosa; Clouded; wingspan 75-86mm: Prominent dark brown upper-half-basal patch that extends to and ends at am line. Apical area also tends to be brown, much darker than median area but not as dark as basal patch. The anal angle also has the darker brown scaling. The pm line is distinct near costa and inner margin, but becomes weak between the two. It meets inner margin in relative close proximity to am line. Closed subreniform spot is large and connects to the pm line via a thin line. Catocala nebulosa, Abingdon, Harford County September 12, 2009, photographed at uv light in power line cut, courtesy of Kevin Harkins. ** 8804 C. marmorata; Marbled; wingspan 85-95mm Dark fw arc runs from costa down through reniform spot to outer margin just below apex. The subrenifrom spot is light, is bordered inwardly above by a white patch, and is connected to the pm line by a line rather than being open.

Medium-Large Pink Underwings: Wingspans: 70-95mm ** 8833 concumbens Sleepy Underwing or Pink Underwing (wingspan: 60-75mm). This brown thoracic collar is quite evident in this image as is the interruption in the pm line by the open subreniform spot. The white hindwing fringe is only lightly checked on the wing veins. The vibrant pink bans are distinct in colour and also in their relatively smooth contour. ** 8832 Catocala cara; Darling; wingspan 70-85mm. Deep maroon almost purple cast to fws, mixed with very pale green. Lower half of am and pm lines barely visible. No distinctive bars or dashes. Two upper "teeth" on pm line thin and long. Hw bands pink. Heavy black checking on off-white hw fringe. Relatively thick black hw median band almost reaches im which is usually heavily adorned with dark hairs. Tim Dyson image. ** Catocala carissima; wingspan 70-85mm. Distinct light grey brown area at fw apex, preceded just inside pm line by slightly darker patch. Am and pm lines sharp and dark. Hw inner black band wide, complete, merges with extensive grey-black scaling along im. Hw fringe cream coloured. ** 8834 amatrix Sweetheart Underwing; (wingspan 75-95mm). Very skittish, frequently hides in caves, under bridges, under tree bark, etc. by day, resting with head down. Hw patterning and colouration similar to that of C. concumbens, but large size (wingspan 75-95mm) and dark bar running from basal area to just below apex distinguishes C. amatrix. See large Catocala amatrix courtesy of Joan F. Rickert. ** 8834 amatrix form selecta Sweetheart Underwing; (wingspan 75-95mm) Very skittish and frequently hides in caves, under bridges, under tree bark, etc. by day, resting with head down. Several forms, including selecta (to the left) which lacks dark bar on forewing. Hesseli: melanic form; pallida: very pale form. ** 8834 amatrix form hesseli Sweetheart Underwing; (wingspan 75-95mm) Very skittish and frequently hides in caves, under bridges, under tree bark, etc. by day, resting with head down. The melanic form hesseli is very dark and displays dark basal hairs in the hindwing.