Catocala of New Hampshire

**8878 Catocala amica; 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; Little Lined Underwing; wingspan: 35-40mm. This species is without hw marginal black band. Fw 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 am line there is similarly coloured light patch paralleling am lne. The reniform spot is dark, less distinct and in a generally darker area.

** 8873 similis; Similar Underwing, wingspan: 35-45mm. Pale triangular patch from postmedial line along costa, pointed at apex, and light-coloured, tear-shaped reniform spot distinguish this species. Subreniform spot also projects considerably beyond reniform anteriorally at right angle to line of subreniform. Many specimens also have small, light coloured, flattened oval spot about halfway between pm and am lines at about midpoint of reniform spot. Pm line is almost straight for most of length.

** 8846 sordida; Sordid Underwing, wingspan: 37-45mm: Fw is lighter along costa and darker along inner margin. Dark medial lines are especially evident through lighter shades near costa. 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, 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. ** 8877 connubialis, Connubial Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm). FW is highly variable and there are several different forms: "sancta" Hulst is typical form and has forewings with white ground colour and sharply contrasting black lines and markings. There is also brown shading between pm and subterminal lines; "cordelia" H. Edwards is coloured as above but markings are faint; "pulverulenta" Brower has grey-green forewings with faint markings, sometimes none; "broweri" Muller is melanic form with fws that are dark green, almost black. Hw has separate anal spot and outer band ends with straight cut. ** 8847 gracilis, Graceful Underwing, (wingspan: 40-45mm): Gracilis closely resembles sordida but the hindwing loop is not complete in gracilis as it is in sordida. Gracilis also tends to have a darker inner margin and there is frequently (99% of the time, Dale Schweitzer, via Joe Garris), but not always, a basal dash. Sordida never has the basal dash. Catocala gracilis, Londonderry, Rockingham, August 4, Deb Lievens. ** 8864 Catocala grynea ; 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. Catocala grynea, Londonderry, Rockingham; July 17 - August 16, Deb Lievens. ** 8865 praeclara; Praeclara Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm: Fw is pale greenish-grey with considerable contrasting brown shading beyond post medial line. There is black basal dash very close to inner margin and another dash, higher up in median area. Note the contrasting shapes of the reniform and subreniform spots. Tim Dyson image. Catocala pretiosa Precious Underwing; 40-50mm; This species is quite similar to crataegi and mira, but pretiosa has considerable creamy white colouration in the median area. The lower portion of the basal area is also light, not dark as in crataegi. The inner black band of the hindwing forms a loop and the outer band is broken (not complete as in mira, followed by a dot that tapers to the anal angle. ** 8867 Catocala blandula; Charming Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm. Pale basal area of fw distinguishes mira from blandula (dark brown) and crataegi (black). Fw has dark contrasting lines as in crataegi. There is also considerable brown in subterminal area and subreniform spot is very conspicuous and usually brown. A light area runs obliquely from the costa to the subreniform spot. hw is deep orange and has a complete inner black band. The outer black band is unbroken. Lynn Scott image. Catocala blandula, July 24, 29, August 24, 2007, Coos County, Ron White Catocala mira; Wonderful Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm: Pale basal area of fw distinguishes mira from blandula (dark brown) and crataegi (black). Fw lacks dark contrasting lines of crataegi and blandula. There is also considerable brown in subterminal area and subreniform spot is very conspicuous and usually brown. A light area runs obliquely from costa to subreniform spot. There is also a noticeable space along inner margin between am and pm lines. Hw is deep orange and has a complete inner black band. Outer black band is unbroken. Tim Dyson image. ** 8858 Catocala crataegi DL; 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. Hw has outer black band, broken near the anal angle, distinguishing crataegi from blandula. Tim Dyson image. Catocala crataegi, Thornton, Grafton, July 27, Deb Lievens. ** 8775 antinympha; 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. Catocala antinympha, Chichester, Merrimack County, August 18, 2008, Deb Lievens. ** 8776 coelebs; Old Maid Underwing, wingspan 54-56mm.: The gray region from the forewing pm line to the outer margin readily distinguishes this species. The fringe is gray on the lower wing from the brief orange dash at the hindwing apex to the anal angle. Tim Dyson image. maybe

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. Catocala ultronia, July 30; August 12, 19, 2007; Coos County, Ron White Catocala ultronia, Londonderry, Rockingham, August 4- September 1, Deb Lievens Catocala ultronia, Rye, Rockingham, September 22, Deb Lievens ** 8779 serena Serene Underwing 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; 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; wingspan: 55-72mm: Fw 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. rare ** 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 Catocala andromedae tristis, Gloomy Underwing, (wingspan: 40-50mm). Black underwings and dark grey fringe of hindwings, coupled with dark inner margin of forewings help to identify this species. Very dark "flying saucer" shape adjoins subreniform spot to midpoint of antemedial line. The "teeth" of the postmedian line are short and blunt, outwardly edged with white. Subterminal line is also outwardly edged with white. Catocala andromedae tristis, August 8, Londonderry, Rockingham, Deb Lievens. ** 8781 judith, Judith's Underwing, (wingspan: 45-55mm), is one of the smaller "black" underwings. 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. ** 8782 Catocala flebelis ; Mournful Underwing, 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 with additional brown outside postmedial line. No anal dash as in angusi. Hindwings have white fringe. Probably only in southern counties; rare. ** 8773 Catocala epione ; 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 epione , July 17 - August 3, Londonderry, Rockingham, Deb Lievens. ** 8790 Catocala dejecta, (wingspan: 56-73mm). The Dejected Underwing is quite similar to Catocala retecta. Here the light coloured subreniform spot is also open, but it has a distinct "pork-chop" shape and separates a much darker median area below the subreniform spot from a very light area to the costa above the spot. The lower quarter of the submarginal area is also much darker in C. dejecta than in C. retecta. If present, probably only in southern counties. rare Catocala retecta; 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. Catocala retecta, August 6, Londonderry, Rockingham, Deb Lievens. ** 8784 obscura; the Obscure Underwing, (wingspan: 60-72mm), has dull, grey forewings, usually void of any significant dashes or streaks, providing for easy identification. The antemedial, median and postmedial lines of obscura are faint and the subterminal line region is only slightly paler than the rest of the forewing. The hindwing fringe is off-white and lightly checked on the veins. Joe Garris photo. 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. ** 8783 Catocala angusi WO; Angus' Underwing, 60-74mm. Dark dashes/streaks in basal & anal areas. Reniform spot: light brown filling. Hw fringe black except for white region at apex. James K. Adams image. ** 8783 Catocala angusi WO; Angus' Underwing, 60-74mm; Dark dashes/streaks in basal & anal areas. Reniform spot: light brown filling. Hw fringe black except for white region at apex. Form lucetta has broad black band from basal area to om, broken only by reniform & subreniform spots. James K. Adams image. ** 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. rare if present, and probably only in southern counties ** 8791 Catocala insolabilis; Inconsolable, wingspan: 65-75mm Fw light grey with blackish shading along 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, unconfirmed; Widow; wingspan: 70-80mm. Fw ground colour light grey. Distinguished dark arc runs through top of reniform spot to just below apex. Heavy, dark anal and basal dashes, connecting to dark median bar, running parallel to im. Aml thick and black in upper half. Reniform spot consists of two almost concentric irregular ovals. The subreniform spot is light, open, but constricted as it meets the pm line. Hw black with broad, white fringe, only lightly interrupted. Marie Winn image.

** 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