Oklahoma Catocala

They get their name Catocala, literally "beautiful hind wings", from the striking yellow, orange, pink, red or black velvet colouration of their lower wings, usually only visible in take-off, flight or landing or when nectaring at night.

Catocala amestris, courtesy of Leroy Simon.

Those species listed without any reference initials are confirmed by John M. Nelson from his work at http://www.oklanature.com/jfisher/oklahoma_moth_species_by_county.pdf

Those species followed by (JMN) are from an earlier work by John M. Nelson and Peter Loy.

Those species followed by (GBG) are from Season Summary reports by Gary B. Gier.

Those species followed by (WO) = William (Bill) Oehlke are my own interpolations, i.e., species confirmed by one or more of the above authors in Oklahoma County and in Tulsa County have been added to the checklists for those counties between Oklahoma and Tulsa counties.

Many thanks to Susan Johnston who alerted me to the most recent publication by John M. Nelson. Susan is very appreciative of the lepidoptera in her area, and has sent me images and sightings of butterflies and Sphingidae.

Please send comments/corrections and/or images for inclusion or identification to Bill Oehlke. Over the next several years I hope to create pictoral checklists for each county. Those counties indicated in red are the only ones currently active with pictoral checklists. However, indidual species files usually contain images and considerable information.

Cimarron frederici hermia verecunda junctura meskei neogama verrilliana Ellis abbreviatella ilia junctura WO neogama ultronia whitneyi Beckham frederici WO ilia WO

Texas amatrix junctura WO Woodward ilia WO junctura WO micronympha ultronia Washita ilia WO nuptialis

Beaver junctura Roger Mills junctura WO Harmon coccinata frederici WO ilia WO Jackson frederici WO ilia WO

Harper ilia WO junctura WO Dewey ilia WO junctura WO Greer frederici WO ilia WO Tillman agrippina frederici WO ilia WO

Woods ilia junctura lacrymosa Custer amatrix ilia WO junctura piatrix (JMN) Kiowa frederici ilia WO micronympha

Central Oklahoma

Alfalfa junctura WO Noble junctura WO Blaine micronympha amica neogama ilia WO junctura WO amatrix WO McClain amatrix ilia WO similis WO innubens WO amestris WO junctura WO Commanche abbreviatella amestris messalina herodias coccinata ultronia micronympha neogama delilah ilia

Grant junctura Payne abbreviatella amestris herodias coccinata similis connubialis amica epione agrippina ulalume vidua maestosa ilia junctura amatrix delilah illecta Kingfisher ilia WO junctura WO amatrix WO Cleveland coccinata amica lacrymosa ilia dejecta (GBG) ulalume (GBG) epione WO palaeogama WO similis WO innubens (JMN) illecta WO amestris WO junctura WO amatrix WO Cotton blandula delilah WO ilia WO

Kay junctura WO Logan retecta junctura epione WO ilia WO similis WO abbreviatella WO amestris WO amatrix WO Canadian ilia WO similis WO abbreviatella WO amestris WO junctura WO amatrix WO ultronia WO Pottawatomie epione WO agrippina WO ulalume WO vidua WO maestosa WO lacrymosa WO palaeogama WO ilia WO coccinata WO similis WO innubens WO illecta WO junctura WO amatrix WO Stephens amatrix delilah WO ilia WO

Major junctura WO Oklahoma innubens abbreviatella nuptialis amestris messalina herodias coccinata ultronia pretiosa mira blandula titania alabamae clintoni similis minuta amica amica lineella jair piatrix consors epione ulalume dejecta insolabilis vidua lacrymosa palaeogama nebulosa neogama ilia junctura amatrix delilah desdemonia illecta Caddo abbreviatella amestris ultronia similis amica maestosa neogama piatrix (JMN) ilia WO amatrix WO Garvin ilia WO innubens (JMN) Jefferson delilah WO ilia WO

Garfield ilia WO junctura WO Lincoln agrippina WO ulalume WO vidua WO maestosa WO lacrymosa WO palaeogama WO ilia WO coccinata WO similis WO innubens WO illecta WO junctura WO amatrix WO Grady amica palaeogama piatrix (JMN) insolabilis (JMN) judith ?? (JMN) ilia WO innubens (JMN) abbreviatella WO amestris WO ultronia WO Murray amica agrippina maestosa GBG ilia WO Carter delilah ilia WO Love amica delilah WO ilia WO

Eastern Oklahoma

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Credits and notes:

John M. Nelson and Peter W. Loy

The following information is taken (copied) from http://digital.library.okstate.edu/OAS/oas_pdf/v63/p60_67.pdf

Records of 34 species of Catocala collected in Oklahoma are presented. They are Catocala abbreviatella, C. agrippina, C. amatrix, C. amestris, C. amica, C. andromedae, C. cara, C. coccinata, C.connubialis, C. consors, C. dejecta, C. delilah, C. epione, C. frederici, C. herodias, C. ilia, C. illecta, C.innubens, C. insolabilis, C. judith, C. junctura, C. lacrymosa, C. maestosa, C. micronympha, C. nebulosa, C.neogama, C. nuptialis, C. palaeogama, C. piatrix, C. robinsoni, C. similis, C. ulalume, C. ultronia, C. vidua. Brief descriptions, county records, and a key to the species listed are included.

The Catocala have been divided into groups based on the larval food (7). Our data show that the hickory-walnut feeders are the most numerous species in the state with the oak feeders next most abundant. The number of species in the eastern U.S. appears to be greater than in the midwest and west but this may be the result of more intensive collecting there. More than 50 species have been reported from the state of New York (4), whereas we have now obtained records of only 34 species of Catocala in Oklahoma.

We estimate that this represents about 65-75% of the total in the state. More species are expected to be in the eastern half of the state, where the food plants are more readily available.

Our collecting methods have been limited to collecting around lights, both black and white, and examining the trunks of large trees in suitable habitats. Neither of us has used the "sugaring" method espoused by some collectors (8). Most of our collecting activities have been confined to northeastern Oklahoma. Additional records have been obtained from various institutions in the state and are identified in the species list. We have prepared a key to all the species collected in the state. It will need to be modified as more species are taken. The authors solicit additional state and county records and will be glad to make determinations of specimens. An annotated list of the species is given. No illustrations are presented here, as color plates of all species are readily available (7,8,9). We have tried to give the more obvious distinguishing characteristics of each species, including wing span. Barnes and McDunnough (7) divided the genus into three sections on the basis of leg spination as follows: Section 1—all tibiae spined and tarsi having a fourth row of irregular spines; Section 2—fore tibia unspined and tarsi with only three rows of spines; Section 3—both fore and hind tibia without spines.

Only a few generalizations can be made at this time regarding our local fauna. These include the following:
1. Wing span (size) is rather consistent in these moths and can be used to place them in the right species in many cases.
2. All the hickory, pecan, and walnut feeders fall in Section 1 with only one other species (C. innubens) assigned to this group.
3. All species with black hind wings, except—C. andromedae, are in the hickory- and walnut-feeding group.
4. The patterns, colors, and presence of hairs on the undersides of the wings may be as helpful, or more so, in identifying species than those on the upper sides.

HICKORY AND WALNUT FEEDERS

Catocala piatrix Grote Wing span 70-80 mm. FW dark brown-gray, darkest at base with a light band extending diagonally inward from the reniform to costal margin; HW dark yellow or yellow-orange with black hands and dark basal hairs. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., July, OSU; Thomas, Custer Co., July, OSU; Chickasha, Grady Co., October,USAO; Claremore, Rogers Co., July-August.

Catocala consors (Smith & Abbot) Wing span 60-70 mm. FW dark gray, with black am and pm lines, brown band outside pm line, reniform light; HW yellow-orange with pm orange band narrowed and irregularly zigzagged. Records: Muse, LeFlore, Co., June, OSU; Sherwood, McCurtain Co., June, OSU; Ft. Gibson, MuskogeeCo., July, OSU.

Catocala epione (Drury) Wing span 55-65 mm, HW black with pure white fringe and no barring makes this species easy to identify. Records: Tahlequah, Cherokee Co., June; Muse, LeFlore Co., June, OSU; Game Refuge, McCurtain Co.,July, ECU; Stillwater, Payne Co., June-August, OSU; Pontotoc Co., June, ECU; Claremore, Rogers Co., June-July; Lake Bixhoma, Wagoner Co., June. Taken on tree trunks and at light.

Catocala robinsoni Grote Wing span 60-75 mm. FW above light gray to brownish, anterior half of am and pm lines black, with light brown band outside pm line; HW black with lightly barred white fringe and a light dusting of gray hairs at base; wings beneath with prominent light cream bands, innerband on FW wide and ending abruptly before reaching inner margin, outer band narrows to a point at inner margin. Record: Tulsa, Tulsa Co., July.

Catocala judith Strecker Wing span 45-50 mm. FW uniformly colored light gray with some black spots or lines; HW black, without white apex; underwings black with bands pale or indistinct and heavy gray shading at bases. Records: Chickasha, Grady Co., July, USAO.

Catocala agrippina Strecker Wing span 75-85 mm. FW gray-brown; HW black with barred white fringe; wings more yellow than white beneath with pm band narrow and irregular. Records: Ft. Gibson, Muskogee, July, OSU; Stillwater, Payne Co., June-July, OSU; Pontotoc Co., June; ECU;Claremore, Rogers Co.; Grandfield, Tillman Co., July, OSU; Bixby, Tulsa Co., July. Taken on tree trunks in woods.

Catocala ulalume Strecker Wing span 60-70 mm. FW dark gray with a conspicuous, wide white line extending from reniform obliquely inward to costal margin; HW black with narrow white fringe. Records: Ada, Pontotoc Co., July, OSU.

Catocala dejecta Strecker Wing span 60-70 mm. FW dark gray with a conspicuous, wide white line extending from reniform obliquely inward to costal margin; HW black with narrow white fringe.Records: Robbers Cave State Park, Latimer Co., September.

Catocala insolabilis Guenée Wing span 65-75 mm. HW black with dusky fringe; undersides of wings all black except for whitish basal area. Records: Chickasha, Grady Co., July, USAO; Ada, Pontotoc Co., July, OSU.

Catocala vidua (Smith and Abbot) Wing span 70-80 mm. FW light gray with prominent black markings; HW black with white fringe and inconspicuous barring; HW beneath with basal area dark gray; white pm band of both wings wide.Records: Osage Hills State Park, Osage Co., October; Stillwater, Payne Co., September, OSU.

Catocala maestosa (Hulst) Wing span 80-90 mm. This is our biggest Catacola. FW light gray, similar to C. vidua; HW more heavily barred on white fringe and with a heavy dusting of contrasting gray hairs at base above. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., July, OSU; Sequoyah State Park, Cherokee Co., September; Game Refuge, McCurtain Co., June, ECU; Stillwater, Payne Co., Fenton (6) as C. viduata, and August, OSU; Ada, Pontotoc Co.,July, OSU; Claremore, Rogers Co., July-August; Bixby, Tulsa Co., September. Taken on tree trunks in heavily wooded areas.

Catocala lacrymosa Guenée Wing span 60-70 mm. FW dark gray, often marked with brown and with a heavy black pm line; HW black with barred white fringe; FW yellow below with pm band incomplete; HW below white with narrow, irregular pm band. Records: Ada, Pontotoc Co., July, OSU; Bixby, Tulsa Co., September. Taken at black light.

Catocala palaeogama Guenée Wing span 60-70 mm. FW variable in color from light gray to dark gray, with heavy black am and pm lines; HW orange with orange apex and fringe, basal area covered with dark hairs; basal area of both wings below with gray hairs. Records: Tahlequah, Cherokee Co., June; Chickasha, Grady Co., July, USAO. Taken at light and on tree trunk.

Catocala nebulosa H. W. Edwards Wing span 75-85 mm. Readily recognized by the reddish-brown FW with a deep brown basal area and darkbrown triangle at apex, anal angle may be darker also; HW yellow with black bands and dark hairs at base. Records: Spring Creek, Mayes Co., August; Game Refuge, McCurtain Co., July, ECU.

Catocala neogama (Smith & Abbot) Wing span 70-85 mm. FW medium to dark gray with brownish markings; HW dark yellow-orange with lighter fringe, lightly barred; pm band narrow, irregular, heavy dusting of dark hairs at base and along inner margin; undersides light yellow-orange and black. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., July, OSU; Ada, Pontotoc Co., July, OSU.

OAK FEEDERS Section 2 species

Catocala ilia (Cramer) Wing span 70-80 mm. Color and pattern of FW variable; HW orange with inner black band somewhat moniliform; underside of FW with some red or orange color present. Records: Little River State Park, Cleveland Co., June; Wichita Mountains, Comanche Co., June, OSU; Zena,Delaware Co., June; Muse, LeFlore Co., July, OSU; Locust Grove (Spring Creek), Mayes Co., July-August;Eagletown, McCurtain Co., June, OSU; Stillwater, Payne Co., June, OSU; Ada, Pontotoc Co., July, OSU; Claremore,Rogers Co., June; Bixby and Tulsa, Tulsa Co., May-June.

Catocala delilah Strecker Wing span 60-65 mm. FW gray-brown with prominent black am and pm lines; HW deep yellow, inner black band narrow and reaching inner margin, large yellow spot at apex, barring on fringe faint; underside of wings deep yellow with black bands. Records: Ardmore, Carter Co., June, OSU; Wichita Mountains, Comanche Co., June, OSU; Stillwater, PayneCo., OSU. Taken at bait.

Catocala frederici Grote Wing span 40-50 mm. FW yellowish-brown; HW yellow with narrow black bands, both ending before reaching inner margin, small dot at anal angle; undersides colored as above with hind wing marked like upper side. Record: Lugert, Kiowa Co., June, OSU. This is a western species.

Catocala herodias Strecker Wing span 55-65 mm. FW dark gray, appears narrowly striped on posterior half; HW dark red to crimson with inner black band narrowed and scalloped; undersides bright red with black bands.Record: Stillwater, Payne Co., June, OSU.

Catocala coccinata Grote Wing span 60-70 mm. Ground color of HW deep red; FW with underside reddish; HW beneath whitish on upper half and red on lower half. Records: Little River State Park, Cleveland Co., June; Wichita Mountains, Comanche Co., June, OSU; Marshall Co., June, OUBS; Stillwater, Payne Co., May, June, OSU. At black light.

Section 3 Species

Catocala similis W. H. Edwards Wing span 40-45 mm. FW has small pale triangle along costa at apex, reniform, appears drop-shaped; outer blackband of HW broken with a prominent anal spot; inner black band not extending to edge of wing. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., June, OSU; Locust Grove (Spring Creek), Mayes Co., July; Payne Co., June, OSU.At black light.

Catocala connubialis Guenée Wing span 40-45 mm. FW variable, light to dark gray and with or without markings; HW yellow-orange with innerblack band narrow and sometimes ending before reaching margin, a line of black hairs from inner band, just inside inner margin, back to base; outer black band wide, terminating abruptly and squarely, and leaving a black spot at anal angle. Record: Stillwater, Payne Co., June, OSU. Taken at light.

Catocala micronympha Guenée Wing span 40-50 mm. Wing coloration highly variable with numerous "'forms" described. FW usually with light colored st line; HW has broad outer band broken with a prominent anal spot, and inner band extending sharply back from nearanal angle to base. Records: Wichita Mountains, Comanche Co., June, OSU; Lugert, Kiowa Co., June, OSU; Muse, LeFlore Co.,June, OSU; Locust Grove, Mayes Co., July; Claremore, Rogers Co., June; Bixby, Tulsa Co., June. All taken at blacklight.

Catocala amica (Hübner) Wing span 35-40 mm. Easily distinguished by its size and lack of an inner black band on HW. FW quite variable in color and pattern. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., July, OSU; Tahlequah, Cherokee Co., July; Little River State Park, Cleveland Co.,June; Muse, LeFlore Co., June, OSU; Oswalt, Love Co., July, OSU; Stillwater, Payne Co., June-July, OSU; Ada,Pontotoc Co., July, OSU; Locust Grove, Mayes Co., July. All taken at black light.

HONEY LOCUST AND LEAD PLANT FEEDERS Section 1 Species

Catocala innubens Guenée Wing span 55-70 mm. FW variable in color and pattern, usually with a light triangle at apex above; HW with orange ground color and heavy shading of dark hairs at base; underside of HW with cream-colored ground on upper half and orange on lower half. Records: Little River State Park, Cleveland Co., June; Stratford, Garvin Co., May, OSU; Chickasha, Grady Co.,July, USAO; Locust Grove (Spring Creek), Mayes Co., July; Ft. Gibson, Muskogee Co., July, OSU; Ada, PontotocCo., July, OSU; Claremore, Rogers Co., June-July. Taken at black light and sitting on tree trunks.

Section 2 Species

Catocala illecta Walker Wing span 60-70 mm. FW light gray with narrow black lines; ground color of HW yellow, with inner black band wide and ending before inner margin. This species is different from the others in the section in that it has 4 rows of tarsal spines. Records: Grant, Choctaw Co., July, OSU; Locust Grove and Chouteau (OSU), Mayes Co., May; Stillwater, Payne Co., May-June, OSU; Claremore, Rogers Co., June. Taken both at black light and under bright lights.

Catocala abbreviatella Grote Wing span 40-50 mm. FW light gray with black lines on anterior half; HW light yellow-orange with narrowed black bands, both ending before reaching margin; black spot at anal angle. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., June, OSU; Lake Carl Blackwell, Payne Co., June, OSU.

Catocala nuptialis WalkerWing span 40-50 mm. FW light gray with black reniform spot and black lines on anterior third; HW yellow ground with broad, continuous outer black band; inner band also broad, rather smooth, ending before margin. Record: Bixby, Tulsa Co., July. Taken at black light.

Catocala amestris Strecker Wing span 45-50 mm. FW gray above with heavy dark brownish-black markings on anterior half, resulting from adoubling of am and pm lines and the reniform, demarking these dark areas; HW yellow-orange with inner black band narrowed and angulate, but smoothly outlined; outer black band broad with anal spot. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., June, OSU; Wichita Mountains, Comanche Co., June, OSU; Stillwater, Payne Co.,June, OSU. Taken at black light.

WILLOW AND POPLAR FEEDERS Section 2 Species

Catocala junctura Walker Wing span 70-75 mm. FW delicate gray-brown, HW red-orange with narrow inner black band not reaching margin but hooked back toward base; underside of FW white, HW white on anterior one-fourth and red-orange on rest of wing; both wings with prominent black bands; inner black band on underside of HW just like the one on upper side. This species is in a group of willow feeders having 28 species of which 20 are western in distribution. We expect that this will be the western range limit of this eastern species. Records: Sequoyah State Park, Cherokee Co., September; Weatherford, Custer Co., OSU; Stillwater, Payne Co.,July, OSU; Pontotoc Co., June, ECU; Tulsa, Tulsa Co., July. On trees in dense woods beside lake.

Catocala cara Guenee Wing span 70-85 mm. FW dark brown, HW deep pink with broad, even black bands, and heavy dusting of dark hairs at base. Records: Locust Grove (Spring Creek), Mayes Co.; Game Refuge, McCurtain Co., June, ECU; Claremore,Rogers Co., July.

Catocala amatrix (Hubner) Wing span 75-85 mm. FW similar to C. cara but usually lighter and more gray; HW lighter pink with black bands more irregular in shape and lacking the dark hairs at the base. Records: Thomas, Custer Co., July, OSU; Ft. Gibson, Muskogee Co., July, OSU; Okemah, Okfuskee Co., July,OSU; Stillwater, Payne Co., July, OSU; Ada, Pontotoc Co., July, OSU; Claremore, Rogers Co., July-August; Bixbyand Tulsa, Tulsa Co., September; Bartlesville, Washington Co., July. Taken at lights and on trees.

BLUEBERRY (VACCINIUM) FEEDERS

Catocala andromedae (Guenée) Wing span 40-50 mm. Section 2. FW with contrasting light shading; HW black with white apex; underside of both wings black with white apex and broad, whitish outer band on FW only.Record: Tahlequah, Cherokee Co., June. At light.

ROSACEAE FEEDERS

Catocala ultronia (Hübner) Wing span 50-60 mm. Section 3. FW above quite variable, gray to brown to dark brown, but darkened along area of basal dash and with a lighter brown patch at apex; HW orange-red with complete black bands and gray fringe with a white spot at apex. Records: Hinton, Caddo Co., June, OSU; Wichita Mountains, Comanche Co., June, OSU.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Appreciation is expressed to the following individuals who allowed us access to collections under their supervision:

Dr. William Carter, East Central University, Ada;
Dr. William Drew, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater;
Dr. Rod Stewart, University of Oklahoma Biological Station, Lake Texoma;
and Dr. C. M. Mather, University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma, Chickasha.

REFERENCES

1. W. A. DREW, Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 42: 93-100 (1962).
2. R. BURTON and W. A. DREW, Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 48: 16-22 (1969).
3. J. M. NELSON, Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 59: 41-46 (1979).
4. W. L. BAKER, Eastern Forest Insects, USDA Misc. Pub. No. 1175, 1972.
5. R. L. FURNISS and V. M. CAROLIN, Western Forest Insects, USDA Misc. Pub. No. 1339, 1977.
6. F. A. FENTON, Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 19: 71-77 (1939).
7. W. BARNES and J. McDUNNOUGH, Mem. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 3: 1-47 (1918).
8. T. D. SARGENT, Legion of Night: the Underwing Moths, Univ. of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1976.
9. W. J. HOLLAND, The Moth Book, Doubleday, New York, N.Y., 1903. (Reprinted and emended 1968, Dover,paperback, New York.)

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Lep soc season summary

Cleveland Catocala dejecta 10 mi E of Norman 04-JUL-96 Gier, Gary B. 1997 Cleveland Catocala lacrymosa 10 mi E of Norman 04-JUL-96 Gier, Gary B. 1997 Cleveland Catocala ulalume 10 mi E of Norman 04-JUL-96 Gier, Gary B. 1997 Murray Catocala agrippina vic of Sulphur 02-JUL-96 Gier, Gary B. 1997 Murray Catocala maestosa vic of Sulphur 02-JUL-96 Gier, Gary B. 1997