Little Yellow-Orange Underwings: Wingspans: 35-45mm
| **8878 Catocala amica TM;
Girlfriend; wingspan: 35-40mm
The black postmedian band is absent from the dorsal (upper)
surface of the hindwing, but it is present on the ventral surface.
Moths come in to lights and to bait.
Catocala amica lineella is sometimes treated as a subspecies;
sometimes as a distinct species.
John Himmelman image. |
| ** 8878.1 lineella WO;
Little Lined Underwing; wingspan: 35-40mm.
This species does not have marginal black band
on hindwing. Forewing subreniform spot is pale and boldy
outlined with black. There is similar light brownish-gray patch in
upper half of median area near pm line, and just between
subreniform spot and antemedian line there is similarly
coloured light patch paralleling am lne.
The reniform spot is dark, less distinct and in a generally darker
area. Form "curvifascia" has diffuse black-brown arc from the
mid costa region toward mid outer margin. Tim Dyson image.
|
| ** 8874 Catocala minuta TM;
Little Underwing, wingspan: 35-45mm.
The fw is generally grey-brown with greatly widened
(near costa only), white, st line.
The outer black band of hw is unbroken and inner band
forms complete loop with considerable brown scaling along
inner margin. Several forms:
"eureka" Schwarz has blackish area between am and pm lines;
"hiseri" Cassino has dull grey fw with very faint markings;
"mellitula" Hulst has blackish patch in basal area from costa to
inner margin;
"obliterata" Schwarz is melanic form, almost completely
black fw;
"parvula" W. H. Edwards has broad dark patch along fw inner margin.
Steve Walter image. |
| ** 8873 similis WO;
Similar Underwing, wingspan: 35-45mm.
The pale triangular patch from the postmedial line along the costa,
pointed at the apex, and the light-coloured, tear-shaped reniform
spot distinguish this species. The subreniform
spot also projects considerably beyond the
reniform anteriorally at a right angle to the line of the subreniform.
Many specimens also have a small, light coloured, flattened oval spot
about halfway between the pm and am lines at about the midpoint of
the reniform spot. The pm line is almost straight for most of its
length. Tim Dyson photo.
|
| ** 8846 sordida WO;
Sordid Underwing, wingspan: 37-45mm.
The forewing is lighter along the costa and darker along the inner
margin. Dark medial lines are especially evident through the lighter
shades near the costa. The outer black band of the hindwing is broken
near the anal angle.
I made the determination on the moth to the right based on
dark scaling along the inner margin limited to median area
and submarginal "teeth" relatively
short and blunt.
Tim Dyson image.
|
Little Yellow-Orange Underwings: Wingspans: 35-56mm
These tend to be slightly larger on average than preceding group.
| ** 8876 Catocala micronympha WO;
the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm). John Himmelman image.
The usual specimens have grey forewings shaded with green, brown,
black and white tints. There is usually a darkened band passing from
the costa through the reniform spot to the outer margin.
There is high variability with this species.
Full size Joe Garris photo of C. micronympha form hero.
|
| ** 8864 Catocala grynea TM; Woody Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm
The forewing is a dull greenish grey with orangey-brown shading along
the inner margin. The antemedial, median and postmedial lines are
quite faint.
Praeclara is somewhat similar but has a break in the brown shading
between the am and pm lines. Praeclara also has a paler orange
hindwing color.
Tim Dyson image. |
| ** 8865
praeclara WO; Praeclara Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm
The forewing is a pale greenish-grey with considerable contrasting
brown shading beyond post medial line.
There is a black basal dash very close to the inner margin and
another dash, higher up in the median area.
Note the contrasting shapes of the reniform and subreniform spots.
Tim Dyson image. |
| ** 8867 Catocala blandula WO;
Charming Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm.
The pale basal area of the forewing distinguishes mira from
blandula (dark brown) and crataegi (black).
The forewing has dark contrasting lines as in crataegi.
There is also considerable brown in the subterminal area
and the subreniform spot is very conspicuous and usually brown. A
light area runs obliquely from the costa to the subreniform spot.
The hindwing is deep orange and has a complete inner black band.
The outer black band is unbroken.
Lynn Scott image. |
| Catocala mira WO;
Wonderful Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm.
The pale basal area of the forewing distinguishes mira from
blandula (dark brown) and crataegi (black).
The forewing lacks the dark contrasting lines of crataegi and
blandula. There is also considerable brown in the subterminal area
and the subreniform spot is very conspicuous and usually brown. A
light area runs obliquely from the costa to the subreniform spot.
There is also a noticeable space along the inner margin between the
antemedial and postmedial lines.
The hindwing is deep orange and has a complete inner black band.
The outer black band is unbroken
Tim Dyson image. |
| ** 8858 Catocala crataegi WO;
Hawthorn Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm
Determination is based on dark (black) shading in forewing basal
area continuing along inner margin to anal angle and brown shading
beyond postmedial line. There is also a definite greenish cast to
median area.
The lower wing has the outer black band, broken near the anal angle,
distinguishing crataegi from blandula.
Tim Dyson image. |
| ** 8858 Catocala nuptialis TM;
Married Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm
The reniform spot is very dark, black or almost black on an otherwise faintly marked, almost uniformly grey forewing.
The outer black margin of the hindwing is unbroken, but is indented near the anal angle.
Jim Vargo image.
|
| ** 8843
whitneyi TM;
Whitney's Underwing, wingspan 45-50mm.
Catocala whitneyi is similar to abbreviatella Grote, and
nuptialis Walker, but generally flies later in the season where the species
overlap. The two black wedges/triangles on the forewing, one over the
reniform spot and the other just outside the antemedial line,
distinguish whitneyi.
Gerald Fauske image.
|
| ** 8775 antinympha TM;
Sweetfern Underwing, wingspan 45-55mm.
The very dark grey, almost black, forewing ground colour
distinguishes antinympha. There is some brown shading in the
subreniform spot and also just outside the postmedial line.
The hindwing is amber to pale orange.
There is also the form multoconspicua Reiff, 1919 with a pale,
almost white subreniform spot.
Tim Dyson image.
|
| ** 8772 clintoni;
Clinton's Underwing, wingspan 45-55mm.
The black basal dash distinguishes clintoni from illecta and
abbreviatella, both of which lack the dash.
Vernon Brou image.
|
|
Midsized Orange-Salmon-Red-Scarlet Underwings: Wingspans: 50-72mm
| ** 8857
Catocala ultronia TM;
Ultronia Underwing, wingspan: 50-63mm.
The forewings are typically gray-brown, with a distinct and very
dark inner margin and a characteristic light brown patch, underscored
by a very dark arc, near the wingtip.
There can be considerable variation from one specimen to the next.
Underwings can be yellow to orange to salmon.
|
| Catocala ultronia,
the Ultronia Underwing, wingspan: 50-63mm.
There is extensive orange-salmon colouration on the ventral surface
of the hindwings and there is a dark discal lunule.
The ventral surface of the forewings also has a generous suffusion
of orange-salmon scales in the lower half of the median area.
Joe Garris photo.
|
| #8817
briseis TM;
Briseis Underwing;
wingspan: 60-70mm
The forewings are predominantly a mottled dark-grey-brown with some lighter areas 1) between the postmedial and subterminal lines, 2) at the very base of the antemedial and postmedial lines along the inner margin, and 3)over the subreniform spot running diagonally toward the costa.
The postmedial lines do not have greatly elongated and sharly pointed "teeth" near the apex.
The hindwing fringe is white and unbroken and the inner black band (fairly even) reaches the inner margin.
Tim Dyson image.
|
| ** 8770
Catocala innubens TM;
Betrothed; wingspan: 55-72mm
The forewing is mottled with white, grey and brown, and the
subrenifrom spot tends to be lighter in colour, although it is
sometimes obscured by an indistinct blackish bar which runs from the
middle of the basal/thorax connection to just below the much lighter
apex at the outer margin.
Jim Vargo image. |
| ** 8851
Catocala coccinata TM;
Scarlet; wingspan: 57-70mm
There are usually diffuse basal and anal dashes on an otherwise light
grey, mottled forewing.
Hindwing fringe is white (often with some salmon scaling) and is
heavily checked.
I find the "tooth" just below pair of very elongated "teeth" is
much reduced and is quite rounded, usually allowing considerable room
for a lighter patch of scales. Dark bar crosses the thorax.
Reniform spot tends be to light, often with greenish cast.
Joe Garris image.
|
|
Solid Black Underwings: Smallest to Largest, Similar Species Paired
| ** 8781
judith WO,
Judith's Underwing, (wingspan: 45-55mm),
is one of the smaller "black" underwings. The forewing is a 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.
|
| ** 8773
Catocala epione TM;
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 retecta WO;
wingspan: 60-75mm
Note the light coloured, elongated and open subreniform spot
which interrupts the dark, diffuse ark running through the center of
the wing from the basal area (body-wing juncture) to the forewing
apex. The center of the reniform spot is brown and there is a brown
area just below the costa running to the inner margin just outside the pm
line. The off-white hindwing fringe is only lightly checked along the
wing veins.
Joe Garris image.
|
| ** 8794
Catocala lacrymosa TM;
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 WO;
Inconsolable, wingspan: 65-75mm
The forewing is light grey with blackish shading along the inner
margin. The antemedial and postmedial lines are thin.
The hindwing 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.
|
| ** 8792
Catocala vidua WO;
Widow; wingspan: 70-80mm
The ground colour of the forewing is light grey. There is a
distinguished dark arc running through the top of the reniform spot
to just below the apex. There are heavy, dark anal and basal
dashes, connecting to a dark median bar, running parallel to the inner margin.
The am line is thick and black in its upper half.
The reniform spot consists of two almost
concentric irregular ovals.
The subreniform spot is light, open, but constricted as it
meets the pm line.
The hindwing is black with broad, white fringe, only lightly
interrupted.
Marie Winn image. |
| ** 8793
Catocala maestosa TM;
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.
|
|
Large Black Underwings (Banded): Wingspans: 70-80mm
| ** 8803
Catocala relicta TM;
Forsaken, White, Relict; wingspan: 70-80mm
There is considerable variation with regard to black/white
concentrations on the forewings.
The form clara (depicted), has the basal and subterminal
areas predominantly white; the form phrynia, is
evenly dusted with grey over the entire forewing.
Typical specimens have the basal and subterminal areas filled with
blackish scales. The black hindwings, with a brilliant even white
inner band and
white fringe,
are also distinctive.
|
| ** 8802
Catocala cerogama TM;
Yellow-Banded; wingspan 70-80mm
There are several different forms. The pm line is distinct, dark
and has an elongate pair of projections. The pm and am lines meet the inner
margin in relative proximity. The closed subreniform spot
it lighter than surrounding areas, and it is shaped a bit like an
arrowhead with the point toward the body. The hindwings are
distinctive. Jean-Benoît Duval image. |
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