Catocala dejecta
kah-TOCK-uh-lah mm dee-JECK-tuh
Strecker, 1880

Catocala dejecta courtesy J. K. Adams.

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

MIDI MUSIC "Moon River" copyright C. Odenkirk MIDI CITY ON.OFF <bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION: Catocala dejecta, The Dejected Underwing (wingspan: 56-73mm), flies from Massachusetts and Connecticut south to Florida, west to Texas and Oklahoma and north to southern Ontario. The light coloured, almost white, patch from the reniform and subreniform juncture to the costal margin is diagnostic. The hindwing fringe is usually also pure white with black wing veins extending like "teeth". Catocala dejecta Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala dejecta are usually on the wing from June to October. The Catocala dejecta caterpillar feeds on hickories and oaks.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala dejecta 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.

Carya glabra Carya ovata....... Quercus

Pignut hickory Shagbark hickory Oak

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