Catocala gracilis
kah-TOCK-uh-lah mm GRAH-si-lis
Edwards, 1864

The Graceful Underwing, August 6, 2003, courtesy of Tom Murray copyright

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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 gracilis moth (wingspan: 40-45mm) flies from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, Canada, south through Connecticut to Florida and west to Mississippi and Missouri (Texas specimen reported by Charles W. Bordelon Jr., May 25, 1996).

Gracilis closely resembles sordida but the hindwing loop is not complete in gracilis as it is in sordida. Gracilis also tends to have a darker inner margin and there is frequently, but not always, a basal dash. In the form lemmeri, Mayfield, the black border along the inner margin is very sharply defined. Catocala gracilis, Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala gracilis flies as a single generation with moths on the wing from July to September (late May and June in extreme south).

Moths come in to lights readily and also to bait.

The Catocala gracilis caterpillar shows a preference for blueberries and is probably host specific in North America, although oak and fetterbush have also been reported as hosts.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae formed under leaf litter.

SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS, AND PUPAE: Eggs are deposited on bush 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.

Leucothoe Quercus Vaccinium pallidum.....

Fetterbush Oak Blueberry

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The Graceful Underwing, courtesy of James K. Adams