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Updated as per personal communication with Rick Gilmore Updated as per "Systematics of moths in the genus Catocala (Lepidoptera, Erebidae) IV. Nomenclatorial stabilization of the Nearctic fauna, with a revised synonymic check list"; ZooKeys 39: 37–83 (2010) by Lawrence F. Gall, David C. Hawks; March 21, 2010 Updated as per personal communication with Ken Allen (C. connubialis, Hillsborough Co., May 10, 2010): May 11, 2010 Updated as per Catocala aestivalia; April 5, 2017 |
http://www.daltonstate.edu/galeps/list%20page%20folder/Noctuidae%20Erebidae.htm
Those species listed from Georgia to Texas or Arkansas have been included to comprise this tentative Florida list.
The list probably contains several omissions. It will be updated and refined as sighting data arrives over the years. Please send images with dates and collecting locales (including county) to Bill Oehlke.
Subsequently I have found a list for the Biodiversity Inventory of the University of Florida Natural Area Teaching Lab and have added some species confirmed by that list for the immediate area and Catocla messalina from nearby.
Rick Gillmore (RG) has corrected this list for Florida and has provided some foodplant information, added to the individual species
files. I delisted eighteen species from my original list and added those indicated by Rick.
Rick adds, "C.P.Kimball's book, Lepidoptera of Florida is a good book, but an example of another mistake in Kimball's
book is with Catocala vidua. He lists five specimens of C. vidua from Starke, Florida, May 1951. Steve Roman and I found all five specimens in the
Florida State Collection in Gainesville, Florida, back in the early 70's. The five specimens were all Catocala maestosa."
I have added Catocala charlottae (now Catocala praeclara charlottae) to the list based on an identification by Vernon Brou.
As of April 4, 2010, this page has been further updated as per research data compiled by Larry Gall.
I would like to continue to refine the listings to county levels so images and data (date, location at least to county level,
bait, lights) would be very much appreciated. Please send same to Bill Oehlke.
All images that I use on my websites remain the property of respective photographers and images are credited as such.
The Identification Keys Diagram should help you understand the terminology I have used in describing the various species.
Visit Florida Sphingidae: Hawk Moths.
Little Yellow-Orange Underwings: Wingspans: 35-45mm
Little Yellow-Orange Underwings: Wingspans: 35-56mm |
** 8876 Catocala micronympha, the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm). John Himmelman image. Usual specimens have grey forewings shaded with green, brown, black and white tints. Usually a darkened band passing from costa through reniform spot to outer margin. High variability. Full size Joe Garris photo of C. micronympha form hero. |
** 8876 Catocala micronympha
form gisela,
the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm). |
** 8876 Catocala micronympha
form hero,
the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm).
The usual specimens have grey forewings shaded with green, brown,
black and white tints. There is usually a darkened band passing from
the costa through the reniform spot to the outer margin.
Form "hero" H. Edwards has a median area that is mostly white. |
** 8876 Catocala micronympha form lolita, the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm).Form "lolita" Sargent has very dark forewings. Harold J. Vermes image, used with permission from his son. |
** 8876 Catocala micronympha form sargenti, the Little Nymph Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm). Usual specimens have grey forewings shaded with green, brown, black and white tints. Usually a darkened band passing from costa through reniform spot to outer margin. Form "sargenti" Covell (very rare) has a hindwing that is all black. |
** 8877 connubialis, Connubial Underwing, (wingspan: 35-50mm). Fw highly variable; several different forms: "sancta"; typical form, forewings with white ground colour and sharply contrasting black lines and markings. Brown shading between post medial and subterminal lines; "cordelia"; coloured as above but markings are faint; "pulverulenta"; has grey-green forewings with faint markings, sometimes none; "broweri": melanic form, fws dark green, almost black. Hw has separate anal spot and outer band ends with straight cut. Leroy Simon image. |
Catocala pretiosa Precious Underwing; 40-50mm unconfirmed; This species is quite similar to crataegi and mira, but pretiosa has considerable creamy white colouration in the median area. The lower portion of the basal area is also light, not dark as in crataegi. The inner black band of the hindwing forms a loop and the outer band is broken (not complete as in mira, followed by a dot that tapers to the anal angle. Subspecies texarkana is now equated with pretiosa. |
** 8860 lincolnana, Underwing, (wingspan: 40-50mm). Fws pale grey-brown with distinct dark curve running from costa along antemedial line to im, advancing to anal angle. Hw inner black band forms complete loop, outer black band broken and followed by dot. |
** 8772 clintoni; Clinton's Underwing, wingspan 45-55mm.The black basal dash distinguishes clintoni from illecta and abbreviatella, both of which lack the dash. Vernon Brou image. |
** 8847
gracilis,
Graceful Underwing, (wingspan: 40-45mm):
Gracilis closely resembles sordida but the hindwing loop is not
complete in gracilis as it is in sordida. |
** 8864 Catocala grynea ; Woody Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm
The forewing is a dull greenish grey with orangey-brown shading along
the inner margin. The antemedial, median and postmedial lines are
quite faint. |
** 8865 praeclara; Praeclara Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm. Fw 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. Upper of two larger pml teeth is longer, wider than lower tooth. Note double, white filled amls. Lighter, subcircular patch, outlined in black, brown on lower thorax. |
** 8867 Catocala blandula;
Charming Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm. |
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. Considerable brown in subterminal area and subreniform spot very conspicuous, usually brown. Light area runs obliquely from costa to subreniform spot. Noticeable space along i. m. between antemedial and postmedial lines. Hw deep orange and has a complete inner black band. The outer black band is unbroken Tim Dyson image. |
** 8858 Catocala crataegi as subspecies 1; Hawthorn Underwing, wingspan: 40-50mm Determination based on dark (black) shading in forewing basal area continuing along inner margin to anal angle and brown shading beyond postmedial line. Definite greenish cast to median area. Hw outer black band, broken near anal angle, distinguishing crataegi from blandula. Tim Dyson image. |
** Catocala aestivalia Wingspan: 38-45mm; Northern Florida, probably replaces crataegi, to which it is very similar, in Florida. |
** 8848 louiseae, Louise's Underwing, (wingspan: 40mm). Distinct white "smile" (in spread specimens) between reniform and subreniform spots. Narrow but distinct white line immediately following black postmedial line. Hw deep yellow orange, outer black band interrupted, followed by dot, ending before im. |
** 8845 messalina, Messalina Underwing, (wingspan: 40-45mm).The forewing is a plain, dull, grey-green, darkening toward the outer margin. The hindwing is like that of the false underwing, having no inner black band. The outer band is quite wide. |
** 8842 Catocala nuptialis;
Maried Underwing, wingspan 40-50mm. |
** 8842 Catocala slotteni;
Slotten's Underwing, wingspan 46mm. |
** 8844 amestris; Three-staff Underwing; wingspan 45-50mm.There is a large pale patch near the apex. In form "westcotti" the hindwing outer black band is complete. In other moths, the band is broken as in abbreviatella. Hindwing ground colour is usually deeper yellow-orange than in similar species. Leroy Simon image. |
** 8875 C. grisatra; Grisatra Underwing, wingspan 48-55mm.Fws make it look like miniature ulalume. Fws bluish grey with darker anal dash, wide arc from reniform spot to om. Hw median band incomplete loop. Uncommon and very local in its limited range. |
** 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. |
Catocala ultronia form celia.
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. |
** 8770 Catocala innubens; Betrothed; 55-72mm. Forewing is mottled with white, grey and brown, and subrenifrom spot tends to be lighter in colour, although it is sometimes obscured by an indistinct blackish bar which runs from middle of basal/thorax connection to just below much lighter apex at outer margin.Jim Vargo image. |
** 8770 Catocala innubens form scintillans; Betrothed; 55-72mm.In form scintillans most of the basal area (all but lower third) and all of the median area of the forewing is dark reddish brown. The area outside the pm line is grey. Vernon A Brou image. |
Catocala delilah; 58-65; The forewing is gray-brown with prominent black antemedial and postmedial lines. The hindwing is yellow-orange, with a narrow inner black band which reaches the inner margin. There is a large yellow spot at the apex, and the fringe is faintly barred. The underside of the wings is deep yellow with black bands. |
** 8851 Catocala coccinata; Scarlet; wingspan: 57-70mm: There are usually diffuse basal and anal dashes on an otherwise light grey, mottled fw. Hw fringe is white (often with some salmon scaling) and is heavily checked. I find "tooth" just below pair of very elongated "teeth" is much reduced and is quite rounded, usually allowing considerable room for lighter patch of scales. Dark bar crosses thorax. Reniform spot tends be to light, often with greenish cast. Joe Garris image. |
** 8772 Catocala consors WO; Consort, wingspan: 70mm plus. Fw with irregular am and pm narrow black lines. Dark patch outside the reniform and subreniform spots. The orange-yellow hindwing pm band tends to be narrow and irregularly zigzagged. Sometimes the band is wider and slightly less irregular. James K. Adams image. |
Solid Black Underwings: Smallest to Largest, Similar Species Paired>
miranda, Miranda Underwing; 37-45mm; Fw: plain pale grey with very light and fine black lines, darker and wider near costa. Hw black with white fringe at the apex, turning to grey along the outer margin. Miranda is smaller than look-alike orba and miranda also has a dark bar just above the inner margin in the median area, projecting toward the anal angle. |
Catocala orba, Orba Underwing, (wingspan: 40-45mm). Fw uniform grey with light lines and poorly defined spots. Hw underside completely black. Hw fringe unbroken, slightly off white, somewhat grey. |
Catocala andromedae, Gloomy Underwing, (wingspan: 40-50mm). Black underwings and dark grey fringe of hws, coupled with dark inner margin of forewings help to identify this species. There is also a very dark "flying saucer" shape, adjoining subreniform spot to midpoint of am line. The "teeth" of pm line short and blunt, outwardly edged with white. Subterminal line is also outwardly edged with white. |
** 8773
Catocala epione , yes;
Epione Underwing, wingspan: 55-65mmJohn Himmelman image. |
Catocala ulalume, Ulalume Underwing, (wingspan: 65mm). Fw mottled light to dark grey, no strongly contrasting lines, dashes, bars. Aml ends at im in very light coloured crescent, close to pml. Open subrenifrom spot light coloured, "comma" shaped with triangular, somewhat bulbous head. Aml: short, thin, slightly humped dark line through midpoint. Hw black, fringe pure white, thin, pointed checking. |
Catocala dejecta; Dejected; wingspan 56-73mm. Pale grey patch from reniform and subreniform juncture to costal margin is diagnostic. Note open, light "pork chop" shape of subreniform spot. Two "teeth" in pml above subreniform spot are relatively short and blunt. Upper portion of aml thick and black; lower half has light rounded lobes outlined in black. Hw fringe is white with black wing veins extending like "teeth". |
** 8794
Catocala lacrymosa;
Tearful Underwing, 60-82mm.
The forewing is highly variable with a mixture of black, brown
(wing tips and outside postmedial line) and dark grey scaling.
There are usually whitish crescents, along the inner margin at the
base of the antemedial and postmedial lines. |
** 8794
Catocala lacrymosa;
Tearful Underwing, 60-82mm.
Form paulina: lighter grey post median area & area along and parallel to inner margin, in sharp contrast to
darker basal median areas. |
** 8794
Catocala lacrymosa;
Tearful Underwing, 60-82mm. |
** 8794 Catocala lacrymosa; Tearful Underwing, 60-82mm;; GSMNP/TP/WAM/KC. In form albomarginata there is an abundance of white scaling on the forewing. |
** 8794 Catocala lacrymosa; Tearful Underwing, 60-82mm;; TP. Form "zelica", has black basal patch and strong black subterminal line. |
Catocala sappho, Underwing, (wingspan: 62-75mm), Forewings are off white with some grey-black-brown peppering and yellow-beige lines. The reniform spot is brown and the subreniform spot is almost pure white; the hindwings are black with a white fringe. |
** 8791
Catocala insolabilis;
Inconsolable, wingspan: 65-75mm.
Fw light grey with blackish shading along inner
margin. Antemedial and postmedial lines thin.
Hw fringe is very narrow and grey, becoming whiter toward
the apex.
The ventral surface clearly distinguishes insolabis, being almost
completely black except for some white in the basal area. |
Catocala atocala, Underwing, (wingspan: approximately 70-75mm). Similar to agrippina, but reniform is more clearly defined in atocala. Closed subreniform of atocala may be open or closed in agrippina. Distinct basal dash of agrippina females is nearly absent in atocala females. Hw undersurface white areas on agrippina are beige on atocala. Hw bulge (discal spot) on atocala, is not present on agrippina. |
** Catocala myristica; slightly smaller than robinsonii, myristica has a browner cell spot and a darker bottom line on the longest extension of the pm line near the inner margin. Probably only in Black Belt on nutmeg hickory. unconfirmed |
** Catocala myristica; slightly smaller than robinsonii, myristica has a browner cell spot and a darker bottom line on the longest extension of the pm line near the inner margin. Dark bar very prominent but does not intrude on cell mark, nor present along inner edge of reniform spot. Also note absence of upper black line inside reniform spot. unconfirmed |
** 8780 Catocala robinsonii; 70-80mm. Fws relatively plain pale grey. Female has basal dash, absent in male. Currata French, 1882, female form: weak basal dash. Rare form missouriensis Schwarz, 1915: dark, broad bar extending from basal area to o.m. just below apex. Lighter grey rnfm, subrnfm spots break bar in missouriensis, found from PA. to FL. Hw fringe: White; bands on ventral surface prominent. unconfirmed |
** 8780 Catocala robinsonii; 70-80mm. Barred form very similar to Catocala myristica but note very thin pm line from costa to inner margin. In myristica line thickens along lower edge of longest "loop" near inner margin. Note presence of upper black line inside reniform spot. unconfirmed |
Catocala agrippina, Underwing, (wingspan: 75-85mm). Head and body blackish grey (dorsal) and greyish white (ventral). Male fws grey-black with some reddish brown (distinguishing characteristic); transverse lines black, darker toward costa, lighter near im. Reniform indistinct, brown, sub-reniform almost obsolete, lighter than surrounding areas. |
** 8793 Catocala maestosa SM, Sad Underwing, wingspan: 78-98mm. Maesotsa is quite similar to, although usually larger than, vidua. Both have the dark arc from the costa, above the reniform spot, to the outer margin just below the apex. Maesotsa, however, lacks the dark bar, found on vidua, parallel to the inner margin. The reniform spot is brown and there is brown shading just outside the postmedial line. The hindwing fringe is white, narrow and heavily barred. |
** 8801
Catocala ilia; Ilia;
wingspan: 65-82mm |
** 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. Tim Dyson image. |
** 8857.1 Catocala umbrosa; mm; Double brown am line, inward line fainter, filled with off white; reniform spot brown center outlined in black , off white and black again; subreniform, large, pale brown, closed. Pm line wit htwo elongated upper teeth, next tooth reduced, next two progressively longer, rounded, final lobe rounded and shorter. HW with dark scaling/hairs in basal median area along im |
Catocala muliercula; Little Wife Underwing; Dark, distinct upper half am line runs obliquely toward anal angle, turns in two lobes to im; basal area dark brown; inner brown kidney shaped reniform spot, oulined in black then light then black again; open, lighter subreniform spot with light area from it to costa; median area greyish-blue-brown; subterminal area brown; terminal area greyish-blue-brown; lighter patch at apex. Hw dark bands thick, much dark scaling in basal area covering two thirds of region, joining inner black band to im. |
** 8771 Catocala piatrix ; Penitent, wingspan: 68-84mm. Fw: light-colored band/bar extending from light coloured, triangular subreniform spot along am line to costa. Brown, kidney-shaped reniform spot surrounded in pale grey, outlined in black, usually with distinct black along wing veins in a dark area outside the reniform spot. Hw: fringe lightly barred; lighter in color than deeper orange on rest of wing. |
** 8798 Catocala neogama; wingspan 70-85mm. Brown head, thorax, larger size as compared to C. palaeogama. Neogama tend to be slightly smaller than subnata, have darker grey brown fws with more pronounced markings. Examination of hind tibia needed for id. Neogama's: flattened, unevenly, sparsely spined; subnata's: cylindrical, spines dense, uniform in distribution. Joe Garris photo. |
** 8796 Catocala nebulosa; Clouded; wingspan 75-86mm: Prominent dark brown upper-half-basal patch that extends to and ends at am line. Apical area also tends to be brown, much darker than median area but not as dark as basal patch. The anal angle also has the darker brown scaling. The pm line is distinct near costa and inner margin, but becomes weak between the two. It meets inner margin in relative close proximity to am line. Closed subreniform spot is large and connects to the pm line via a thin line. |
** 8832 Catocala cara; Darling; wingspan 70-85mm. Deep maroon almost purple cast to fws, mixed with very pale green. Lower half of am and pm lines barely visible. No distinctive bars or dashes. Two upper "teeth" on pm line thin and long. Hw bands pink. Heavy black checking on off-white hw fringe. Relatively thick black hw median band almost reaches im which is usually heavily adorned with dark hairs. Tim Dyson image. |
** Catocala carissima; wingspan 70-85mm. Distinct light grey brown area at fw apex, preceded just inside pm line by slightly darker patch. Am and pm lines sharp and dark. Hw inner black band wide, complete, merges with extensive grey-black scaling along im. Hw fringe cream coloured. |
** 8834 amatrix Sweetheart Underwing; (wingspan 75-95mm). Very skittish, frequently hides in caves, under bridges, under tree bark, etc. by day, resting with head down. Hw patterning and colouration similar to that of C. concumbens, but large size (wingspan 75-95mm) and dark bar running from basal area to just below apex distinguishes C. amatrix. See large Catocala amatrix courtesy of Joan F. Rickert. |
** 8834 amatrix form selecta
Sweetheart Underwing; (wingspan 75-95mm) |
** 8834 amatrix form hesseli
Sweetheart Underwing; (wingspan 75-95mm) |
Eggs of many North American Saturniidae species are offered during the spring and summer. Occasionally summer Actias luna and summer Antheraea polyphemus cocoons are available. Shipping to US destinations is done from within the US.
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