Catocala angusi
kah-TOCK-uh-lahmAYNG-gus-eye
Grote, 1876

Catocala angusi courtesy of James K. Adams, Georgia.

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Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: Erebidae, Leach, [1815] Subfamily: Erebinae, Leach, [1815] Tribe: Catocalini, Boisduval, [1828] Genus: Catocala, Schrank, 1802

DISTRIBUTION:

Catocala angusi, Angus' underwing, (wingspan: 60-74mm) flies from Massachusetts unconfirmed and Connecticut south to Georgia west to Arkansas and Kansas and north to Illinois and Michigan.

It has also been reported in Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

I suspect it is also present in West Virginia.

The dark dashes/streaks in basal area and anal area distinguish this species. The reniform spot tends to have a light brown filling. The hindwing fringe is black except for white region at the apex.

The form lucetta (left above) has a broad black band from the basal area to the outer margin, broken only by the reniform and subreniform spots.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala angusi are usually on the wing from July to October.

The Catocala angusi caterpillar shows a preference for Carya species.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala angusi females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume. There is considerable variation in forewing patterning from specimen to specimen. Here is an almost totally unmarked specimen courtesy of James K. Adams. The anal dash is still apparent.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited on tree bark in the fall and hatch the following spring.

Catocala angusi is probably one of the few Catocala species regarded as a pest. I suspect the larvae really do not do much damage, but any insects that feed on commercial crops (like pecans) are generally unwanted. Image to the right courtesy of H. C. Ellis, The University of Georgia, http://www.forestryimages.org/ Excellence of camouflage is much apparent in this image. The larva is often referred to as the pecan underwing.

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.

Carya illinoinensis..... Carya ovata

Pecan Shagbark hickory

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