Catocala of New Jersey

Catocala serena Stillwater Township, Sussex County, New Jersey,
July 20, 2006, courtesy of Joe Garris.

Catocala andromedae, the gloomy Underwing, (wingspan: 40-50mm). The black underwings and dark grey fringe of the hindwings, coupled with the dark inner margin of the forewings help to identify this species. There is also a very dark "flying saucer" shape, adjoining the subreniform spot to the midpoint of the antemedial line. The "teeth" of the postmedian line are short and blunt, outwardly edged with white. The subterminal line is also outwardly edged with white. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala judith, 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. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala 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, distinguishing this species from C. residua. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala residua, the Residua Underwing, (wingspan: 60-73mm), is distinguished from Catocala obscura by the grey hindwing fringe of residua. Catocala obscura has white to off-white fringe and tends to be less common in northern portions of its range. The forewing subterminal line/area of Catocala residua tends to be pale as is its open, elongated subreniform spot. Like C. obscura it is otherwise devoid of significant markings except for the hint of a dark bar running from the basal area through the reniform spot to the outer margin just below the apex. Full size Joe Garris photo. 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 are 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. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala dejecta, (wingspan: 56-73mm; Hodge #8790). 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. Full size Joe Garris photo.

Salmon to Scarlet Underwings

Catocala habilis, (wingspan: 55-65mm; Hodges #8778). Note the large "M" on the thorax and the "pork chop" shaped, light coloured subreniform spot that becomes very dark in its constriction at the juncture with the postmedian line. The pm line is narrow but dark and distinct. It is outwardly lined with a narrow suffusion of white scales, followed by a broader band of brown scales, and then another broader suffusion of white scales up to a very regular dentation of the subterminal line. There is always significant "bleeding" of the yellow-orange to salmon scales into the hindwing fringes. The large reniform spot has a brown center, faintly edged with black, then white, then black again. Full size Joe Garris photo.

Catocala palaeogama, (wingspan: 60-70mm; Hodges #8795). The subreniform spot is closed, does not approach the pm line, and it is smaller than in C. habilis. All forms have the characteristic orange, heavily barred fringe to the apex, and irregular bands on the hindwings. The hw basal median area is heavily suffused with dark brown to black scales. There is also a 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. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala palaeogama form phalanga, (wingspan: 60-70mm; Hodges #8795). 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. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala neogama, (wingspan: 70-85mm; Hodges #8798). Note the brown head and thorax and larger size as compared to C. palaeogama. Neogama specimens tend to be slightly smaller than subnata, and have darker grey brown forewings with more pronounced markings. Examination of hind tibia is sometimes needed for identification. Those of neogama tend to be flattened and unevenly and sparsely spined while tibia of subnata are cylindrical with spines dense and uniform in distribution. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala ultronia, the 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. Full size Joe Garris photo. 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. Catocala coccinata, the Scarlet Underwing, (wingspan: 57-70mm). There are usually diffuse basal and anal dashes on an otherwise light grey, mottled forewing. The hindwing fringe is white (often with some salmon scaling) and is heavily checked. I find the "tooth" just below the pair of very elongated "teeth" is much reduced and is quite rounded, usually allowing considerable room for a lighter patch of scales. There is a dark bar across the thorax. The reniform spot tends be to light, often with a greenish cast to it. Joe Garris photos. Catocala ilia, the Ilia Underwing, (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. Full size Joe Garris photo of C. ilia.

Yellow-Orange Underwings

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.

Catocala antinympha, the Sweetfern Underwing, (wingspan: 45-55mm). This relatively small species is distinctive with almost uniformly dark grey to black forewings. There is usually a light suffusion of white scales in the subreniform spot. Even the hindwing fringe is dark grey to black. There is some "bleeding" of the yellow-orange hindwing bands into the light patch at the hindwing apex. Full size Joe Garris photo.

Catocala serena, the Serene Underwing, (wingspan: 55-60mm). The pm line seems relatively distant from the outer margin and meets the inner margin relatively close to the am line. The reniform spot is hard to distinguish. The subreniform spot is large and frequently open. The pm line does not have the elongated "teeth" typical of many other Catocala species. Both the am and pm lines are thin, black and distinct on an otherwise relatively even light grey (with a slight tinge of green) ground colour. Full size Joe Garris photo.

Pink Underwings

Catocala concumbens, the Sleepy or Pink Underwing, (wingspan: 60-75mm). This medium sized species is distinctive with thin black am and pm lines on a forewing light grey with some brown mottling. The subreniform spot is widely open into the submarginal area. The head and thoracic collar are brown. If you haven't identified it by its forewings, the flash of bright pink bands and pure white, very lightly checked hindwing fringe will refresh your memory. Full size Joe Garris photo. Catocala concumbens, the Sleepy 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. Full size Joe Garris photo.

Catocala ilia and Catocala palaeogama, Sussex County, New Jersey, courtesy of Joe Garris.