DISTRIBUTION: Catocala ilia zoe
(wingspan: approximately 65mm) flies in California northwards to at least
central westernOregon and east at least
to Arizona. there are a few records for southern Oregon.
I have also seen an image from Umatilla, northeastern Oregon, that I
am pretty sure is ilia zoe.
C. ilia zoe, June 4, 2003, Pinnacles National Monument,
San Benito, California, courtesy of Paul Johnson.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
Catocala ilia zoe are usually on the wing from June to
September, but Dave Wikle took the one depicted below at a
MV light on May 29, 2004, Alameda County, elev 2380' streamside
among oaks, pines, chaparral, N37 29.527 W121 32.059, three miles
west of the convergence of Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and
San Joaquin Counties on Mines Road.
The peak of the single flight is probably in June.
The Catocala ilia zoe caterpillar probably feeds on black,
burr, red and white oaks.
Catocala ilia zoe, June 13, 2007, Eugene (Lane County), Oregon,
courtesy of Larry McQueen/Kit Larsen image, confirmed by Larry Gall.
Larry found the following larva and put it in a jar with some oak
leaves. It pupated on May 13, 2007 and emerged 31 days later.
Catocala ilia zoe, May 12, 2007, Eugene, Oregon, courtesy of
Larry McQueen.
Larry writes, " The caterpillar was found last evening by our dog on
the patio. We don’t know what plant it associates with, but we have
a lot of potted plants. The ventral view captured the caterpillar as
it was doing its scare movements of rapid lateral twisting so that it
pops up and often lands on its back. It was photographed on a
one-inch grid. The insect is basically a green on the blue or gray
side."
Catocala ilia zoe, June 13, 2007, Eugene (Lane County), Oregon,
courtesy of Larry
McQueen/Kit Larsen image.
ECLOSION:Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.
SCENTING AND MATING:Catocala ilia zoe females
emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the
scent plume.
 Catocala ilia zoe
female, Old Kern Cyn Rd, 2320', Kern Co CA,
June 21, 1990,
Kelly Richers, collector, at u.v. light
EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:Eggs are deposited on
tree bark in the late spring and summer 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.
Quercus alba
Quercus macrocarpa.......
Quercus rubra
Quercus velutina
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White oak
Burr oak
Northern red oak
Black oak
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contact Bill.
Please send sightings/images to Bill. I will do my best to respond to
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