Catocala hermia
kah-TOCK-uh-lahmmHER-mee-uh
Henry Edwards, 1880

Catocala hermia from Alberta.

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:

The Catocala hermia moth (wingspan: mm) flies from Alberta south through Montana and Colorado to Arizona. It is also seen in Washington and in central eastern California.

Scott Shaw reports hermia is taken (not common) "on Pole Mountain, in the Medicine Bow Forest, Wyoming, about 10 miles east of Laramie near I-80 in the mountain willow bogs."

Form or subspecies C. hermia vericunda has been reported in western Oklahoma: Cimarron.

The forewings are almost uniform grey with thin, yet contrasting medial lines. Hindwings are pinkish red with relatively even and narrow black bands. The inner black band terminates well before the inner margin. Fringe is white and checked with some pink/red "bleeding" along the outer black band, particularly near the apex. Image, Redcliff, Alberta, Canada, courtesy of John Acorn.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala hermia flies as a single generation with moths on the wing in August and Septmber.

Catocala hermia larvae feed on poplars and willows.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae formed under leaf litter.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala hermia females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume. This is a sexually dimorphic species.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS, AND PUPAE: Eggs are deposited on tree bark in the fall and hatch the following spring. Mature larvae Image courtesy of

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.

Populus...... Salix

Poplar Willow

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