Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1
Catocala desdemona
This record describes Catocala desdemona (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
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
Central Oklahoma and central Texas westward to central Utah, and southward through Mexico and beyond. Type locality: Prescott, Arizona (J. Doll ).
Seasonal Activity
In the southwest adults fly from May to November, with peaks in June and September.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Oaks; host in the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona is Quercus oblongifolia .
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet for Desdemona , Othelo's wife in Shakespeare's Othelo . Actor and entomologist Henry Edwards was fond of using female characters from Shakespeare.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Catocala desdemona. 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 Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Chris Mallory; Additional contributions by marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1
Where is Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1 found?
Range: Central Oklahoma and central Texas westward to central Utah, and southward through Mexico and beyond. Type locality: Prescott, Arizona (J. Doll ).
What does Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1 eat?
The diet of the Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1 includes Oaks; host in the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona is Quercus oblongifolia ..
When is Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1 active?
Desdemona Underwing - Hodges#8835.1: seasonal activity - In the southwest adults fly from May to November, with peaks in June and September..