Catocala nuptialis
kah-TOCK-uh-lah M nup-SHEE-al-is
Walker, [1858]

Catocala nuptialis, Chalkrock, Cedar County, Nebraska,
August 10, 2022, courtesy of Scott Wehrly.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: Noctuidae Group: Noctuinina Subfamily: Catocalinae Genus: Catocala, Schrank, 1802

DISTRIBUTION: The Married Underwing, Catocala nuptialis (wingspan 40-50mm) flies from Manitoba south through Minnesota and Nebraska to eastern Oklahoma and Texas and east to Kentucky and Illinois. It has also been reported in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

C. nuptialis courtesy of Jim Vargo.

The reniform spot is very dark, black or almost black on an otherwise faintly marked, almost uniformly grey forewing.

The outer black margin of the hindwing is unbroken, but is indented near the anal angle.

Catocala nuptialis, Worthington, Nobels County, Minnesota,
July 20, 2008, courtesy of Tom Middaugh.

Catocala nuptialis, (verso), Worthington, Nobels County, Minnesota,
July 20, 2008, courtesy of Tom Middaugh.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala nuptialis are on the wing from late June to September.

The Catocala nuptialis caterpillar feeds on leadplant, and possibly honey locust and oak.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala nuptialis 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.

Amorpha canescens.......

Leadplant

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