Catocala dejecta
kah-TOCK-uh-lahMdee-JECK-tuh
Strecker, 1880

Catocala dejecta courtesy J. K. Adams.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
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 dejecta, The Dejected Underwing (wingspan: 56-73mm), flies from Massachusetts and Connecticut south through New Jersey to Florida, west to Texas and Oklahoma and north to southern Ontario. Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The light coloured, almost white, patch from the reniform and subreniform juncture to the costal margin is diagnostic. The hindwing fringe is usually also pure white with black wing veins extending like "teeth". Catocala dejecta Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility

Catocala dejecta, Stillwater Township, Sussex County, New Jersey,
July 11, 2006, courtesy of Joe Garris

Catocala dejecta, Cumberland Co, North Carolina,
June 14, 2005, courtesy of Lynette Schimming.

Catocala retecta, Stillwater Township, Sussex County, New Jersey,
August 2, 2006, courtesy of Joe Garris.

Catocala dejecta female, Shaw Lake, Barry County, Michigan,
lights, July 18, 1986, courtesy of Harry King.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala dejecta are usually on the wing from June to October, often earlier in the southern states.

Catocala dejecta Bodcau WMA, Bossier Parish, Louisiana,
May 17, 2012, courtesy of Jeff Trahan.

The Catocala dejecta caterpillar feeds on hickories and oaks.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

Catocala dejecta, Stillwater, Sussex County, New Jersey,
July 28, 2021, courtesy of Joe Garris.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala dejecta females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited on tree bark in the fall 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.

Carya glabra Carya ovata....... Quercus

Pignut hickory Shagbark hickory Oak

Return to Main Catocala Index

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