Catocala caesia
kah-TOCK-uh-lahmmKAY-see-uh
undescribed

Catocala caesia, 55mm, courtesy of Jim Vargo.

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Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: Noctuidae Group: Noctuinina Subfamily: Catocalinae Genus: Catocala, Schrank, 1802

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DISTRIBUTION:

Catocala caesia (8837.1), Caesia Underwing, (wingspan: 47-55mm) flies in Arizona, and possibly in other states in the southwestern United States.

The forewing is a blotchy blue-grey-brown with some lighter areas. The double am line with its lighter "filler" is dark and thick/diffuse. The distinct pm line is black, thinner than the am line, and traced outwardly with a thin white line. There are no greatly elongated teeth.

The reniform spot has a pale brown center and is faintly outlined in black. The small subrectangular subreniform spot is almost pure white, is indented on its inward side and is narrowly outlined in black.

The hindwing is bright yellow, with unchecked/lightly checked yellow fringes. There is some light brown scaling in the basal median area. The inner black band is relatively thin, turns at an acute angle toward the im, but is bluntly truncated well bfore reaching the inner margin. It seems to be followed by a small dark dot. The outer margin is bluntly truncated well before reaching the inner margin. It is followed by a larger black dot near the base of the inner margin.

Catocala caesia, Sunny Flat Camp Ground, Coronado National Forest, Cochise County, Arizona,
47mm, June 14-15, 1998, courtesy of Harry King, slight digital repair by Bill Oehlke.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala caesia are probably?? on the wing in June. The Catocala caesia caterpillar probably eats ??.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala caesia females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited on tree bark in the fall and hatch the following spring.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive, although some species seem very host specific. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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