Catocala antinympha
kah-TOCK-uh-lah mm an-tih-NIM-fuh
(Hübner, [1823]) Ephesia antinympha

The Sweetfern Underwing, August 12, 2003, by Tom Murray copyright.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: Noctuidae Group: Noctuinina Subfamily: Catocalinae Genus: Catocala, Schrank, 1802

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DISTRIBUTION:

The Catocala antinympha moth (wingspan: 45-55mm) flies from Quebec (common) and Ontario east to Nova Scotia (CNC has records for Prince Edward Island, but I have not seen it here as of yet) and south to Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Maryland. This species appears to be quite rare in the United States.

However, Gabe Larrabee writes (August 15, 2005, "I have caught two specimens in one night so far in central Wisconsin, both males. They are actually common to abundant in certain areas of Wisconsin where sweetfern grows, as I have been told by Leslie Ferge."

Tom Middagh reports them from Minnesota.

The very dark grey, almost black, forewing ground colour distinguishes antinympha. There is some brown shading in the subreniform spot and also just outside the postmedial line. The hindwing is amber to pale orange. Catocala antinympha is the same as C. paranympha Drury, 1773; affinis Westwood, 1837 and melanympha Guenee, 1852 There is also the form multoconspicua Reiff, 1919 with a pale, almost white subreniform spot. Image courtesy of Cindy Mead, Michigan.

Catocala antinympha Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

In northern portions of its range, Catocala antinympha flies as a single generation with moths on the wing from mid July to mid September.

In more southerly locales there may be multiple flights, but it is generally believed that all Catocala are univoltine (single brooded).

Moths come in to lights readily and also to bait.

The Catocala antinympha caterpillar shows a preference for Comptonia peregrina (sweetfern) and seems to be host specific.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from .

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala antinympha females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS, AND PUPAE: Eggs are deposited on tree bark in the fall and hatch the following spring. Mature larvae Image courtesy of

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive, although some species seem very host specific. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Comptonia peregrina.....

Sweetfern

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The Sweetfern Underwing, by Harold J. Vermes.