Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1
Catocala atocala
This record describes Catocala atocala (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Formerly treated as a form of Strecker's Catocala agrippina . Strecker illustrated the form in the original description ( fig.3 ) of that species.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Erebinae
- Tribe
- Catocalini
- Genus
- Catocala (Underwings)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Known from Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, north along the Mississippi River to southern Illinois, west in Oklahoma and Texas along the Red River and tributaries where Carya myristiciformis grows, and speculated to be in coastal South Carolina where the host is present. (Gall, Peacock & Slotten, 2002) Holotype male and allotype female: Edgard, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, 18 June 1982 (V.A. Brou Jr.).
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The known larval host is nutmeg hickory ( Carya myristiciformis ). In lab rearings larvae took black walnut and butternut but refused shagbark hickory, bitternut hickory and pignut hickory. (Gall, Peacock & Slotten, 2002)
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet a playful pun of the generic name.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Catocala atocala. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman; Additional contributions by marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1
What is Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1?
Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1 (Catocala atocala) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1?
Forewing 33-37 mm. (Brou, 1985)
Where is Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Range | Known from Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, north along the Mississippi River to southern Illinois, west in Oklahoma and Texas along the Red River and tributaries where Carya myristiciformis grows, and speculated to be in coastal South Carolina where the host is present. (Gall, Peacock & Slotten, 2002) Holotype male and allotype |
| Female | Edgard, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, 18 June 1982 (V.A. Brou Jr.). |
What does Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1 eat?
The diet of the Catocala atocala - Hodges#8787.1 includes The known larval host is nutmeg hickory ( Carya myristiciformis ). In lab rearings larvae took black walnut and butternut but refused shagbark hickory, bitternut hickory and pignut hickory. (Gall, Peacock & Slotten, 2002).