Catocala


Catocala is a generally Holarctic genus of moths in the family Erebidae. The genus was erected by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802. The moths are commonly known as underwing moths or simply underwings. These terms are sometimes used for a few related moths, but usually – especially when used in plural, not as part of a species name – they are used to refer to Catocala only.
Of the more than 250 known species, slightly less than half are found in North America – mostly in the United States – while the rest occur in Eurasia. About one-fifth of these species are native to Europe. A few species occur in the northern Neotropics and Indomalaya.

Description and ecology

Most species of Catocala have medium to large adults, cryptically coloured except for the hindwings, which are marked with stripes in orange, red, white, or even blue. In some, the hindwings are mostly blackish. Unlike what the common name "underwings" seems to suggest, the colour is brightest on the upperside. However, the bright hindwings are not visible at rest, being hidden under the dull forewings – hence the name. Due to their diversity and variety of colors and patterns, underwing moths are popular with collectors of Lepidoptera.
In, The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume II, the genus described as follows.
It is believed that the bright colors, arranged in usually roughly concentric markings, at a casual glance resemble the eyes of a predatory animal, such as a cat. An underwing moth, well camouflaged in its daytime resting spot on a tree trunk or branch, will suddenly flash open the hindwings when disturbed. A bird or other small predator that is not used to this display is likely to be frightened, allowing the moth to escape. However, unlike some other bright-colored moths which are bad-tasting or even poisonous to predators, underwing moths are well palatable at least to some birds. To assist in avoiding nocturnal predators such as bats, these moths also possess fairly well-developed hearing organs.
The caterpillars of most species feed on the leaves of woody plants, usually trees but sometimes shrubs. Typical food plants are Fagales of the families Betulaceae, Fagaceae and Juglandaceae – mainly hickory, oak and walnut tree species, as well as others such as alder, beech, birch and chestnut. The caterpillars of numerous Old World and some North American species feed on the Salicaceae Populus and Salix, which belong to the Malpighiales. Less common larval food plants of Catocala are for example elms and various Rosaceae of the Rosales, Tilia of the Malvales, or some Fabaceae of the Fabales; as the preceding, these all belong to the Fabidae lineage of rosid eudicots. More unusually, underwing moth caterpillars have also been found to feed on such plants as maple which belongs to a distant lineage of rosids, as well as on such plants as ash trees and blueberries which are asterids and quite unrelated to the other food plants by eudicot standards.
The adults are predominantly nocturnal, flying from shortly after dusk right up to daybreak. They are generally most active about two hours after nightfall. However, several if not all species of underwing moths have a second activity period exactly around noon, during which they are also regularly found on the wing for about 1–2 hours each day.
The genus name Catocala roughly means "beautiful hindwings". It is a combination of two Ancient Greek words, kato, and kalos.

Classification

There are over 250 species in this genus. The species of Catocala are here divided into a Eurasian group, and another one which is found in North America. This does not imply actual relationships; it is mainly done to more conveniently deal with the large number of species. Still, it is not unlikely at all that the groups consist at least to some extent of closely related species.
There are several cryptic species complexes in Catocala, e.g. the group around the Delilah underwing ; these and other hitherto unknown species are still being discovered and described in some numbers. Thus, resolving the phylogeny and taxonomy of the underwing moths is an ongoing effort, which has made little progress. In the scientific literature, smaller subdivisions into putatively related species are sometimes applied, but there is no consistent and widely accepted taxonomic treatment for the genus as a whole.

Synonyms

Several distinct genera have formally been proposed for splitting from Catocala, but these are all treated here as junior synonyms. These synonyms and other invalid names of Catocala are:Andreusia Hampson, 1913 Andrewsia Grote, 1882Astiodes Astiotes Hübner, 1823Belpharidia Bihemena Beck, 1966Blephara Ochsenheimer, 1816 Blepharidia Hübner, 1822Blepharonia Hübner, 1823 Blepharonia Hübner, 1825Blepharum Hübner, 1806 Catabapta Hulst, 1884Catacola Catocalla Convercala Beck, 1966Corisce Hübner, 1823Corisee Divercala Beck, 1966Ephesia Hübner, 1818Eucala Beck, 1966Eucora Hübner, 1823Eunetis Hübner, 1823Hemigeometra Haworth, 1809Koraia Nye, 1975Lamprosia Hübner, Lamprosia Hübner, 1827 Metacala Beck, 1966Mormonia Hübner, 1823Mormosia Optocala Beck, 1966Promonia Beck, 1966Puercala Beck, 1966Reticcala Beck, 1966Simplicala Beck, 1966

[Palearctic] species

Catocala abacta Staudinger, 1900Catocala abamita Bremer & Grey, 1853 Catocala actaea Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874Catocala adultera Ménétries, 1856Catocala aenigma Sheljuzhko, 1943Catocala aestimabilis Staudinger, 1892Catocala afghana Swinhoe, 1885Catocala agitatrix Graeser, 1889 Catocala amabilis Bang-Haas, 1907Catocala amnonfreidbergi Kravchenko et al., 2008Catocala ariana Vartian, 1964Catocala armandi Poujade, 1888 Catocala artobolevskiji Sheljuzhko, 1943Catocala bella Butler, 1877 Catocala bokhaica Catocala borthi Saldaitis, Ivinskis, Floriani & Babics, 2012Catocala brandti Hacker & Kautt, 1999Catocala butleri Leech, 1900Catocala catei Weisert, 1998Catocala chenyixini Ishizuka, 2011Catocala columbina Leech, 1900Catocala coniuncta – Minsmere crimson underwingCatocala connexa Wileman, 1911Catocala contemnenda Staudinger, 1891Catocala conversa Catocala danilovi Bang-Haas, 1927Catocala dariana Sviridov, Speidel, Reshöft, 1996Catocala davidi Oberthür, 1881Catocala deducta Eversmann, 1843Catocala dejeani Mell, 1936 Catocala desiderata Staudinger, 1888Catocala detrita Warren, 1913Catocala deuteronympha Staudinger, 1861Catocala dilecta Hübner, Catocala disjuncta Catocala dissimilis Bremer, 1861 Catocala distorta Butler, 1889Catocala diversa Catocala doerriesi Staudinger, 1888Catocala dotatoides Poole, 1989Catocala dula Bremer, 1861Catocala duplicata Butler, 1885Catocala editarevayae Kravchenko et al., 2008Catocala electa – rosy underwingCatocala ella Butler, 1877Catocala ellamajor Ishizuka, 2010Catocala elocata – French red underwingCatocala eminens Staudinger, 1892Catocala eutychea Treitschke, 1835Catocala flavescens Hampson, 1894Catocala florianii Saldaitis & Ivinskis, 2008Catocala formosana Okano, 1958Catocala fraxini – blue underwing, Clifden nonpareil Catocala fredi Bytinsky-Salz & Brandt, 1937Catocala fugitiva Warren, 1914Catocala fulminea Catocala fuscinupta Hampson, 1913Catocala gansan Ishizuka & M. Wang, 2013Catocala giuditta Schawerda, 1934Catocala haitzi Bang-Haas, 1936Catocala hariti Ishizuka & Ohshima, 2002Catocala helena Eversmann, 1856Catocala hoenei Mell, 1936Catocala hoferi Ishizuka & Ohshima, 2003Catocala hymenaea Catocala hymenoides Draeseke, 1927Catocala hyperconnexa Sugi, 1965Catocala inconstans Butler, 1889Catocala infasciata Mell, 1936Catocala intacta Leech, 1889Catocala invasa Leech, 1900Catocala jansseni A. E. Prout, 1924Catocala jonasii Butler, 1877Catocala jouga Ishizuka, 2003Catocala juncta Staudinger, 1889Catocala jyoka Ishizuka, 2006Catocala kaki Ishizuka, 2003Catocala kasenko Ishizuka, 2007Catocala koreana Staudinger, 1892Catocala kotschubeyi Sheljuzhko, 1927Catocala kuangtungensis Mell, 1931Catocala kusnezovi Püngeler, 1914Catocala lara Bremer, 1861Catocala largeteaui Oberthür, 1881Catocala laura Speidel, Ivinskis & Saldaitis, 2008Catocala leechi Hampson, 1913Catocala lehmanni Speidel, Ivinskis & Saldaitis, 2008Catocala lesbia Christoph, 1887Catocala longipalpis Mell, 1936Catocala lupina Herrich-Schäffer, Catocala luscinia Brandt, 1938Catocala maculata Vincent, 1919Catocala marianaCatocala martyrum Oberthür, 1881Catocala maso Ishizuka, 2011Catocala mesopotamicaCatocala mirifica Butler, 1877Catocala moltrechti Bang-Haas, 1927Catocala musmiCatocala naganoi Sugi, 1982Catocala nagioidesCatocala naumanni Sviridov, 1996Catocala neglectaCatocala neonympha Esper, 1805 Catocala nivea Butler, 1877Catocala nubilaCatocala nupta – red underwingCatocala nymphaeaCatocala nymphaeoides Herrich-Schäffer, 1852Catocala nymphagoga – oak yellow underwingCatocala oberthueri Austaut, 1879Catocala obscena Alphéraky, 1879Catocala ohshimai Ishizuka, 2001Catocala olgaorlovaeCatocala optataCatocala optima – Turanga underwingCatocala pactaCatocala paki Kishida, 1981Catocala patala Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874Catocala pataloidesCatocala persimilisCatocala pirataCatocala praegnax Walker, 1858Catocala prolifica Walker, 1857Catocala promissa – light crimson underwingCatocala proxeneta Alphéraky, 1895Catocala pudica Moore, 1879Catocala pudica sabine Saldaitis, Pekarsky & Borth 2014Catocala puellaCatocala puerpera Catocala puerperoidesCatocala remissaCatocala repudiataCatocala rhodosoma Röber, 1927Catocala seibaldi Saldaitis, Ivinskis & Borth, 2010 Catocala seiohboCatocala separansCatocala separataCatocala sinyaevi Sviridov, 2004Catocala solntseviCatocala sponsa – dark crimson underwingCatocala sponsalisCatocala stamensis Kishida & Suzuki, 2002Catocala streckeriCatocala sultana Catocala svetlana Sviridov, 1997Catocala szechuenaCatocala tapestrina Moore, 1882Catocala thomsoni A. E. Prout, 1924Catocala timur – Timur underwingCatocala tokuiCatocala toropovi Saldaitis, Kons & Borth, 2014Catocala triphaenoides Oberthür, 1881Catocala uljanae Sinyaev, Saldaitis & Ivinskis, 2007Catocala viviannaeCatocala weigerti Hacker, 1999Catocala wushensisCatocala xarippe Butler, 1877 Catocala xizangensis Chen, 1991
'''Comparison of Eurasian species'''

[Nearctic] species

Catocala abbreviatellaCatocala agrippina – Agrippina underwingCatocala aholibah – Aholibah underwingCatocala alabamae – Alabama underwing, titan underwing Catocala allusa Catocala amatrix – sweetheart underwing Catocala amestris – three-staff underwingCatocala amica – girlfriend underwing Catocala andromache – Andromache underwingCatocala andromedae – Andromeda underwing, gloomy underwingCatocala angusi – Angus' underwingCatocala antinympha – sweetfern underwing Catocala atocala – Atocala underwing, Brou's underwingCatocala badia – bay underwing, bayberry underwing, old maidCatocala benjamini – Benjamin's underwing Catocala blandula – charming underwingCatocala briseis – Briseis underwing, ribbed underwingCatocala caesia – bluish-gray underwingCatocala californica Catocala californiensisCatocala cara – darling underwingCatocala carissima – carissima underwing Catocala cerogama – yellow-banded underwingCatocala charlottae Catocala chelidoniaCatocala cleopatra Catocala clintoni – Clinton's underwingCatocala coccinata – scarlet underwingCatocala concumbens – pink underwing, sleepy underwingCatocala connubialis – connubial underwingCatocala consors – consort underwingCatocala crataegi – hawthorn underwing, chokeberry underwingCatocala dejecta – dejected underwingCatocala delilah – Delilah underwingCatocala desdemona – Desdemona underwing Catocala dulciola – quiet underwing, sweet underwingCatocala electilisCatocala epione – Epione underwing Catocala faustinaCatocala flebilis – mournful underwingCatocala francisca Catocala fredericiCatocala gracilis – graceful underwingCatocala grisatra – grisatra underwingCatocala grotiana – Grote's underwingCatocala grynea – woody underwingCatocala habilis – habilis underwingCatocala hermia – Hermia underwing Catocala herodias – Herodias' underwing, Gerhard's underwingCatocala hippolyta Catocala ilia – beloved underwing, Ilia underwing, wife underwingCatocala illecta – Magdalen underwingCatocala innubens – betrothed underwingCatocala insolabilis – inconsolable underwingCatocala irene – Irene's underwingCatocala jair – Jair underwing, barrens underwingCatocala jessica – Jessica underwing Catocala johnsoniana – Johnson's underwingCatocala judith – Judith's underwingCatocala junctura – joined underwing, Stretch's underwing Catocala lacrymosa – tearful underwingCatocala lincolnana – Lincoln underwingCatocala lineella – lineella underwing, little lined underwing, steely underwing Catocala louiseae – Louise's underwing Catocala luciana – shining underwingCatocala maestosa – sad underwingCatocala manitoba – Manitoba underwing Catocala marmorata – marbled underwingCatocala mcdunnoughi – McDunnough's underwingCatocala meskei – Meske's underwingCatocala messalina – Messalina underwing Catocala micronympha – little nymph underwing, little bride underwingCatocala minuta – little underwingCatocala mira – wonderful underwingCatocala miranda – Miranda underwingCatocala muliercula – little wife underwingCatocala myristica - Myristica underwing Kons & Borth, 2015Catocala nebulosa – clouded underwingCatocala neogama – the bride Catocala nuptialis – married underwingCatocala obscura – obscure underwingCatocala opheliaCatocala orba – Orba underwingCatocala palaeogama – old wife underwing Catocala parta – mother underwingCatocala piatrix – penitent underwingCatocala praeclara – praeclara underwingCatocala pretiosa – precious underwing
'Comparison of North American species'''

Other "underwing moths"

As noted in the introduction, some species besides the Catocala species are also commonly known as "underwings". Typically however, the name is used with a qualifier, such as a color term, in these cases. Non-Catocala "underwing moths" are typically owlet moths, namely:

Subfamily Catocalinae
Subfamily Amphipyrinae
Subfamily Erebinae
Subfamily Hadeninae
Subfamily Noctuinae
However, the "orange underwings" are two species of genus Archiearis of the geometer moth family :