Little Yellow-Orange Underwings: Wingspans: 35-45mm
| **8878 Catocala alabamae;
Alabama Underwing; 30-40mm;
Uniform greenish-grey fw may have thin but dark (contrasting) lines or they may be nearly absent
(titania); alabamae often with dash in median/anal angle area, missing or nearly absent in titania.
Brown shading between pm line/subterminal line. Hw inner black band thin, outer
band thick, truncated before being followed by large black dot. Early flight season. unconfirmed
|
| **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.
|
| Catocala jair;
35-40mm. The moth is hard to distinguish from amica, but jair has broader, blunter forewings than amica and the post medial
line of jair is straighter (much less dentate) than that of amica. The hindwings of both species seem identical.
unconfirmed
|
| ** 8874 Catocala minuta;
Little Underwing, 35-45mm.
Fw grey-brown with greatly widened
(near costa only), white, st line.
Hw outer black band unbroken, inner band
forms complete loop, considerable brown scaling along
im. Several forms:
"eureka" Schwarz: blackish area between am & pm lines;
"hiseri" Cassino: dull grey fw with very faint markings;
"mellitula" Hulst: blackish patch in basal area from costa to
im;
"obliterata" Schwarz: melanic form, almost completely
black fw;
"parvula" W. H. Edwards: broad dark patch along fw im.
Steve Walter image.
|
| ** 8873 similis;
Similar Underwing, wingspan: 35-45mm.
Pale triangular patch from pm line along costa,
pointed at apex, light-coloured, tear-shaped reniform
spot. 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.
|
Catocala sordida 37-45; Sordid Underwing
| messalina,
Messalina Underwing, (40-45mm); WO?;
The forewing is a plain, dull, grey-green, darkening toward the outer margin.
The hindwing is like that of the false underwing, having no inner black band. The outer band is quite wide.
C. messalina flies in evergreen oak habitats. unconfirmed
|
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.
|
| ** 8876 Catocala micronympha
form gisela,
the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm).
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.
Form "gisela" Meyer has a forewing that is mostly black.
Leroy Simon image.
|
| ** 8876 Catocala micronympha
form hero,
the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm).
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.
Form "hero" H. Edwards has a median area that is mostly white.
Joe Garris image.
|
| ** 8876 Catocala micronympha
form lolita,
the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm).
Form "lolita" Sargent has very dark forewings.
Harold J. Vermes image, used with permission from his son.
|
| ** 8876 Catocala micronympha
form sargenti,
the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm).
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.
Form "sargenti" Covell (very rare) has a hindwing that is all black.
|
| ** 8877 connubialis,
Connubial Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm).
Fw highly variable; several different
forms: "sancta" Hulst; typical form, forewings with
white ground colour and sharply contrasting black lines and markings.
Brown shading between post medial and subterminal
lines; "cordelia" H. Edwards, coloured as above but markings are
faint; "pulverulenta" Brower has grey-green forewings with faint
markings, sometimes none;
"broweri" Muller: melanic form with forewings that are dark
green, almost black.
Hw has a separate anal spot and the outer band ends with a
straight cut.
Leroy Simon image.
|
| ** 8860 lincolnana,
Underwing, (wingspan: 40-50mm).
Fws pale grey-brown with distinct dark curve running from costa along antemedial line to im, advancing to anal angle.
Hw inner black band forms complete loop, outer black band broken and followed by dot.
unconfirmed
|
| ** 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.
|
| ** 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.
|
| ** 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. |
| ** 8865
praeclara; Praeclara Underwing, (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;
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 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 WO;
Hawthorn Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm
Determination based on dark (black) shading in forewing basal
area continuing along inner margin to anal angle and brown shading
beyond postmedial line. Definite greenish cast to
median area.
Hw outer black band, broken near anal angle,
distinguishing crataegi from blandula.
Tim Dyson image. |
| ** 8848 louiseae,
Louise's Underwing, (wingspan: 40mm).
There is a distinct white "smile" (in spread specimens) between the reniform and subreniform spots.
There is also a narrow but distinct white line immediately following the black postmedial line.
Hw deep yellow orange, outer black band interrupted,
followed by dot, ending before im. unconfirmed
|
 |
** 8844 amestris;
Three-staff Underwing; wingspan 45-50mm.
There is a large pale patch near the apex.
In form "westcotti" the hindwing outer black band is complete.
In other moths, the band is broken as in abbreviatella.
Hindwing ground colour is usually deeper yellow-orange than in
similar species. Leroy Simon image.
|
| ** 8875 C. grisatra;
Grisatra Underwing, wingspan 48-55mm.
Fws make it look like miniature ulalume.
Fws bluish grey with darker anal dash, wide arc from reniform spot to om.
Hw median band incomplete loop. Uncommon and very local in its limited range.
unconfirmed
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
| ** 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.
|
| ** 8772 Catocala consors WO;
Consort, wingspan: 70mm plus.
Fw with irregular am and pm narrow black lines. Dark patch
outside the reniform and subreniform spots.
The orange-yellow hindwing pm band tends to be narrow and
irregularly zigzagged. Sometimes the band is wider and slightly less
irregular. James K. Adams image.
|
|
Solid Black Underwings: Smallest to Largest, Similar Species Paired
|
miranda,
Miranda Underwing; 37-45mm;
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 orba,
Orba Underwing, (wingspan: 40-45mm).
Fw uniform grey with light lines and poorly defined spots.
Hw underside completely black. Hw fringe unbroken, slightly off white, somewhat grey.
|
|
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.
|
| ** 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 ulalume,
Ulalume Underwing, (wingspan: 65mm).
Fw mottled light to dark grey, no strongly contrasting lines, dashes, bars. Aml ends at im in very light coloured
crescent, close to pml. Open subrenifrom spot light coloured, "comma" shaped with triangular, somewhat bulbous head.
Aml: short, thin, slightly humped dark line through midpoint. Hw black, fringe pure white, thin,
pointed checking.
|
|
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".
|
| ** 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.
|
| Catocala sappho,
Underwing, (wingspan: 62-75mm),
Forewings are off white with some grey-black-brown peppering and yellow-beige lines.
The reniform spot is brown and the subreniform spot is almost pure white; the hindwings are black with a white fringe.
|
| ** 8791
Catocala insolabilis;
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.
|
| Catocala agrippina,
Underwing, (wingspan: mm).
Head and body blackish grey (dorsal) and greyish white (ventral). Male fws grey-black with some reddish brown
(distinguishing characteristic); transverse lines black, darker toward costa, lighter near im.
Reniform indistinct, brown, sub-reniform almost obsolete, lighter than surrounding areas.
|
| ** 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.
|
|
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.
|
| ** 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.
|
| ** 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.
|
Medium-Large Pink Underwings: Wingspans: 70-95mm
| ** 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.
|
|
|
