Numbers
1 species in North America (
nearctica.com)
Identification
forewing olive-green or various shades of brown with light gray costal border expanding downward to include reniform spot; median area grayish brown, bordered by sharply-scalloped AM and PM lines; pale subterminal area has wavy gray ST line that terminates as a blackish patch at the costa; a second blackish patch midway along costa; terminal band black
hindwing bright yellow centrally with broad blackish border and yellow fringe
Range
coast to coast in southern Canada and northern United States
Season
adults fly from June to August
Food
larvae feed on arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.), cherry, dock (Rumex spp.), dogbane (Apocynum spp.), elderberry (Sambucus spp.), meadowsweet (Spiraea spp.), St. Johnswort (Hypericum spp.), and yarrow
Remarks
May be locally very common in some areas (e.g. southern Quebec) or a species of special concern in other areas (e.g. Indiana)
See Also
superficially resembles
Catocala amica (
Girlfriend Underwing) which has an incomplete black band on the hindwing and a different pattern on the forewing, and
Noctua pronuba (
Large Yellow Underwing) which is much larger and has a different forewing pattern
Internet References
live adult image [by Janice Stiefel, Wisconsin] (Moth Photographers Group)
pinned adult image plus identification, distribution, food plants (Gerald Fauske, Moths of North Dakota)
US distribution map (Moths of North America; USGS)
larval food plants; PDF doc plus abundance and flight season (Macrolepidoptera of Mont Saint-Hilaire Region, McGill U., Montreal)
Contributed by
Robin McLeod on 6 October, 2005 - 2:01pm
Last updated 6 October, 2005 - 3:09pm
