Whitney’s Underwing
Catocala whitneyi Dodge, 1874
Family: Erebidae
Status: Resident
Range: Found from Wisconsin south to Kentucky and west to Oklahoma and the Dakotas. There is also a population in northern Florida.
Larval Hostplant(s): Leadplant (Amorpha canescens).
NENHP Ranking:
Broods/Flight Times: A single brood from July to September.
Habitat: Prairies and meadows containing Leadplant.
Avg. Wingspan: Smallish Underwing, 1 3/4 – 2 Inches.
Found at: Box Elder WMA, Niobrara Valley Preserve
Overwintering: As an egg on woody stems.
Identification: The two black triangles (rather than nuptialis’s teardrops) on the forewing are distinctive. One is below the antemedial line and the other above the reniform. There is no black basal dash. (1)
Similar Species: Married (C. nuptialis) and Abbreviated (C. abbreviatella) Underwings but neither has whitneyi’s FW characteristics.
Notes: Identifying features illustrated.
Literature Cited: (1) BugGuide.net
🔗Links: Moth Photographers Group, BugGuide.net
