Catocala chelidonia
kah-TOCK-uh-lahmmchel-ih-DOE-nee-uh
Grote, 1881

Catocala chelidonia courtesy of Bruce Walsh.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

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

MIDI MUSIC "Moon River" copyright C. Odenkirk MIDI CITY ON.OFF <bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Catocala chelidonia, (wingspan: 45-50mm) flies from Arizona and Utah to California, as far north as Napa, CA..

The forewing ground colour is a dark fuscous grey. The reniform and subreniform spots are concolourous, with the subreniform closed and sometimes lighter and brownish. The pm line is thin but very distinct with the two upper teeth only slightly produced.

The hindwing ground colur is dark yellow to orangish. The black median band is swollen near the cell and angles approximately 90 degrees toward but not to the inner margin. The submarginal black line is thin but distinct. The fringes are off white when opposite the dark yellow-orange of the median area and are markedly grey when opposite the outer black band. There is usually some yellow-orange near the apex just inside the submarginal line.

Catocala chelidonia, 48mm, courtesy of Jim Jargo.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala chelidonia are usually on the wing from mid June to September. The Catocala chelidonia caterpillar feeds on oaks.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING: Catocala chelidonia females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume. Right: Catocala chelidonia male, Frazier Mountain Rd, 5750', Ventura County, CA., September 7, 1991. Kelly Richers, collector, at uv light.

Catocala chelidonia female, two miles south of Fishcamp, 4700'.
Madera County, CA.. Kelly Richers, collector, at uv trap.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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

Catocala chelidonia third instar, courtesy of Gabriel Larrabee. copyright

Catocala chelidonia fifth instar, courtesy of Gabriel Larrabee. copyright

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.

Quercus.......

Oak

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