Little Yellow-Orange Underwings: Wingspans: 35-50mm
| ** 8846 sordida WO;
Sordid Underwing;, 37-45mm.
Fw lighter along costa & darker along 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.
|
| ** 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.
|
Catocala praeclara, Regina, August 2008, Tim Taylor
| ** 8867 Catocala blandula WO;
Charming Underwing; 40-50mm.
Fw pale basal area 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.
The hindwing 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. |
Little Yellow-Orange Underwings: Wingspans: 35-56mm
These tend to be slightly larger on average than preceding group.
| ** 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.
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|
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.
|
Catocala ultronia, Regina, August 24, 2009, courtesy of Tim Taylor
| Catocala hermia;
Hermia Underwing: 58-68mm:
Fw almost uniform/even, grey-brown or clay coloured, thin, yet contrasting medial lines.
Distinct large double reniform spot. Large concolourous subrenifrom spot usually open.
Hw pinkish red, relatively even narrow black bands. Inner black band ends before im.
Fringe white, checked, pink/red apical "bleeding".
|
| #8817
briseis TT;
Briseis Underwing;
60-70mm;
Fws predominantly mottled dark-grey-brown with some lighter areas 1) between postmedial & subterminal lines, 2) at base of am & pm
lines along inner margin, 3) over subreniform spot running diagonally toward costa.
Pm lines do not have greatly elongated and sharly pointed "teeth" near apex.
Hw fringe white & unbroken, inner black band (fairly even) reaches inner margin.
Tim Dyson image.
|
Catocala briseis, Regina, August, 2008, Tim Taylor
| ** 8851
Catocala coccinata TM;
Scarlet; 57-70mm.
Usually diffuse basal & anal dashes on otherwise light
grey, mottled forewing.
Hw fringe white (often with some salmon scaling),
heavily checked.
"Tooth" just below pair of very elongated "teeth"
much reduced & quite rounded, usually allowing considerable room
for lighter patch. Dark bar crosses thorax.
Reniform spot tends be to light, often with greenish cast.
Joe Garris image.
|
|
Large Black Underwings (Banded): Wingspans: 70-80mm
| ** 8803
Catocala relicta TT;
Forsaken, White, Relict; 70-80mm.
Considerable variation with regard to black/white
concentrations on forewings.
Form clara (depicted), has basal and subterminal
areas predominantly white; form phrynia, is
evenly dusted with grey over entire forewing.
Typical specimens have basal & subterminal areas filled with
blackish scales. Distinctive hws black with brilliant even white
inner band and
white fringe.
|
Catocala relicta, aproaching bait trap, Regina, August 17, 2009;
recto and verso, August 18, 2009, Tim Taylor
| ** 8802
Catocala cerogama;
Yellow-Banded; 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. |
|
Form ruperti: Forewings are almost uniform grey-brown with white scales outlining subterminal line.
The hindwings are
distinctive. Tim Dyson image. |
|
Form bunkeri: Forewings are dark in median and basal areas.
Hw golden band is reduced in thickness. Basal hairs are brown instead of yellow.
The hindwings are
distinctive. Tim Dyson image. |
Large Orange-Salmon Underwings: Wingspans: 65mm, usually 70-95mm
| ** 8822
meskei TT; Meske's Underwing;
65-75mm.
Fws less distinctly marked compared to unijuga,
some red-orange at the hindwing apex and just inside the
fringe along the outer margin in meskei that is lacking in unijuga.
Fw subreniform spot is opened or connected to the
postmedian line. The hindwing postmedian band nearly straight,
turned in and tapering near anal angle.
Tim Dyson image. |
Catocala meskei, Regina, August, 2008-09, Tim Taylor.
| ** 8821
semirelicta; Semirelict Underwing;
65-75mm.
Fw ground colour is white with dark lines and shadings.
Diffuse dark bar runs from center of basal area to outer margin a
few mm above anal angle. Note regular dentation of st line.
Inner black bar on hw usually terminates well before
the inner margin.
The form "atala" has a forewing that is uniformly grey.
Unijuga is usually larger and has less contrasting black lines. The
inner black bar on unijuga usually reaches the inner margin.
Tim Dyson image.
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| ** 8801
Catocala ilia; Ilia;
wingspan: 65-82mm.
Several different forms,
most have characteristic white area in and around
reniform spot. Diffuse dark arc running from this
spot to just below apex. Subreniform spot squarish, concave inner and outer edges
and elongated constriction connecting it to pml.
White dots near fw om in character
with the overall "contrasting" appearance.
|
| ** 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.
The basal streak and subapical arc are still visible.
Tim Dyson image.
|
| ** 8808 luciana;
Luciana Underwing; 70-80mm.
Luciana has pale grey brown fw with very distinct am
& pm lines.
Subreniform spot has elongated narrow "tail" that seems to
open through postmedial line.
Hw inner black band does not reach inner margin.
Fringe is checked and paler (almost yellow) than
salmon ground colour.
|
| Catocala junctura;
Joined Underwing; 67-85mm.
Fw usually dark brownish-gray to evenly powdered
blue-grey w/o significant markings. Doubled reniform spot
often obscure. Thin, slightly darker am & pm
lines run from costa to im and are not widely
spaced at im.
Hw salmon or orange-pink, narrow inner black band
turns in sharply, does not meet dark-haired im,
distinguishing it from unijuga.
Gary Anweiler image. |
| ** 8806 Catocala parta;
Mother Underwing; 70-85mm.
The black dashes in the basal, subapical and anal areas help to
identify this species. The hindwings may be yellow to
yellowish-orange but more often are salmon-red. Note the
face-head-like markings on the thorax.
In the hindwing, the first (nearest the apex) black protrusion into
the white fringe is "noticeably" larger than the others.
|
Catocala parta, Regina, August 12-25, 2008, courtesy of Tim Taylor.
| ** 8805 unijuga;
Once-married; 70-90mm. Unijuga has
fairly wide black hw inner band (almost reaching inner margin), dark hairs in basal-median area along hw im;
very distinctive patterning in forewing.
Meskei tend to have narrower band and dustier (less distinct) looking fw.
Semirelicta tend to have inner bands that terminate well before
inner margins. Also note the very white fringe on both the forewings and hindwings.
Carroll Rudy image.
|
| aholibah;
80-90mm: Fw is mix of grey and brown, with preponderance of brown in subterminal area.
Double reniform spot has diffuse brown outline of inner oval. Subreniform spot is small,
distinctly outlined in black,
light coloured and does not connect to pm line. Upper two teeth of pm line are elongate
and are followed by relatively smooth line til next tooth below the subreniform spot.
Hindwing salmon or pinkish.
|
|
Medium-Large Pink Underwings: Wingspans: 70-95mm
| ** 8833 concumbens
Sleepy Underwing or
Pink Underwing; 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.
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