Catocala faustina - Hodges#8811
Catocala faustina
This record describes Catocala faustina (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
California to British Columbia and southeast to Colorado. C. f. fraustina Strecker, 1873 (Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado) C. f. cleopatra Strecker, 1873 (coastal southern California) C. f. allusa Hulst, 1884 (N. California to British Columbia) Catocala f. cleopatra is the the most common red underwing in the coastal areas of southern California. ( 12 ) Type locality: Arizona. ( 8 )
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval host is willow ( Salix ). ( 13 )
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet likely for Faustina the Younger , Roman Empress and wife to her maternal cousin Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. ( 11 )
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Catocala faustina. 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 faustina - Hodges#8811 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman; Additional contributions by marcie oconnor , Randy Hardy
Frequently Asked Questions About Catocala faustina - Hodges#8811
How big is Catocala faustina - Hodges#8811?
Forewing length 30-35 mm. ( 12 )
Where is Catocala faustina - Hodges#8811 found?
Range: California to British Columbia and southeast to Colorado. C. f. fraustina Strecker, 1873 (Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado) C. f. cleopatra Strecker, 1873 (coastal southern California) C. f. allusa Hulst, 1884 (N. California to British Columbia) Catocala f. cleopatra is the the most common red underwing in the coastal areas of southern California. ( 12 ) Type locality: Arizona. ( 8 )
What does Catocala faustina - Hodges#8811 eat?
The diet of the Catocala faustina - Hodges#8811 includes Larval host is willow ( Salix ). ( 13 ).