Species Catocala myristica - Hodges#8780.1

8780.1

WS: 78-80mm, FW: 33-37mm

Two forms:

(Images © Ricky Patterson c/o MPG)

Southeastern USA, particularly in the "Blackbelt" region.

Regarding geographic regions, the term "Blackbelt" is "still used in the physiographic sense, to describe a crescent-shaped region about 300 miles (480 km) long and up to 25 miles (40 km) wide, extending from southwest Tennessee to east-central Mississippi and then east through Alabama to the border with Georgia." (Source: Wikipedia)

Deciduous forests and open woodlands in close association with Carya myristiciformis

Flight period: June-August

Nutmeg Hickory, Carya myristiciformis (see distribution map of host), and possibly other spp. of Carya

C.robinsonii is similar to unbarred gray form of myristica, but the PM line of myristica has darkened, thickened black scaling at parallel section of the PM line near inner margin, which is barely present in robinsonii if at all. Also, the reniform spot of myristica is noticeably more filled with brown scaling.

C.flebilis is similar to the barred form of myristica, sharing the black bar that travels from the apex to the mid basal area. The two can be separated by the thicker, more intense, unbroken appearance of the black bar in myristica, verses the thinner black barring often appearing nearly broken between the reniform and subreniform spot in the median area.

C.angusi in its barred form is also somewhat similar to the barred form of myristica, but more easily distinguished by its black barring having a distinct break in the median area at the reniform/subreniform spot.

1. Moth Photographers Group species page

2. Bill Oehlke's Catocala species page

3. BOLD Systems species page

4. Abstract: A New Species of Catocala (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the Southeastern United States

Hugo L. Kons Jr., Robert J. Borth (Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 56(1):55-65 (2015).)

5. PDF: Supplemental Figures for above paper by Borth & Kons Jr.