Catocala benjamini
kah-TOCK-uh-lah mm
ben-jam-MIN-ee
Brower, 1937
Catocala benjamini
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:
Catocala benjamini, Benjamin's
Underwing, (wingspan: mm) flies in Arizona, Nevada, southern California and
southern Utah.
Dr. Wayne Whaley reports "It does fly in Utah. I have several
specimens from Leeds Canyon, north of St. George in June.
Larvae feed on prickly oak."
It is subspecies Catocala benjamini mayhewi
that flies in southern California.
Catocala benjamini jumpi flies in the Kofa Mountains of
Arizona. The nominate subspecies flies in all four states.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
Catocala benjamini are usually on the wing in June.
The Catocala benjamini caterpillar probably eats Gambel oak.
ECLOSION:
Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.
SCENTING AND MATING:
Catocala benjamini 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.
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.
Quercus gambelli.....
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Gambel oak
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