Common NamePraeclara UnderwingSeasonalityAdults have been collected in mid-August and early September.IdentificationA medium-size ( 3.8-5.0 cm wingspan) moth with dull greenish or purple grey forewings. The antemedial line is black and distinct, the other cross-lines less so, mainly indicated by dark marks at the costa. The basal dash is indistinct or absent. A short dark dash in the outer fold, with some dark red-brown scaling adjacent. The hindwings are bright yellow-orange, with a median black band that forms a long loop with the basal streak. A wider black terminal band, divided or nearly so in the anal area, forming a dark, anal spot. The antennae are simple and both the sexes are alike. It can only be mistaken with Catocala blandula, which has much more mottled grey, black and whitish forewings. Canadian populations, which are darker and duller than more southern ones, were previously treated as a separate species, Catocala manitoba Beut.
Scientific NameCatocala praeclaraCommon Name
Praeclara Underwing
Habitat
Dry shrub stands in the valleys of the grassland region.
Seasonality
Adults have been collected in mid-August and early September.
Identification
A medium-size ( 3.8-5.0 cm wingspan) moth with dull greenish or purple grey forewings. The antemedial line is black and distinct, the other cross-lines less so, mainly indicated by dark marks at the costa. The basal…
A medium-size ( 3.8-5.0 cm wingspan) moth with dull greenish or purple grey forewings. The antemedial line is black and distinct, the other cross-lines less so, mainly indicated by dark marks at the costa. The basal dash is indistinct or absent. A short dark dash in the outer fold, with some dark red-brown scaling adjacent. The hindwings are bright yellow-orange, with a median black band that forms a long loop with the basal streak. A wider black terminal band, divided or nearly so in the anal area, forming a dark, anal spot. The antennae are simple and both the sexes are alike. It can only be mistaken with Catocala blandula, which has much more mottled grey, black and whitish forewings. Canadian populations, which are darker and duller than more southern ones, were previously treated as a separate species, Catocala manitoba Beut.
Life History
Adults are nocturnal and come to light and probably sugar baits (no data). Larvae are solitary defoliators and the egg is the overwintering stage. There is a single annual brood.
Conservation
At the edge of its range, where suitable habitat appears to be secure. No concerns.
Diet Info
No Alberta data; elsewhere reported from Aronia and Prunus (Rosaceae). In Alberta, chokecherry is the probable host.
Range
Primarily eastern, from Nova Scotia west to southeastern Alberta, south to Florida and Kansas. In Alberta it has been collected twice in the badlands of the Red Deer River, at Dinosaur Provincial Park and at Tolman…
Primarily eastern, from Nova Scotia west to southeastern Alberta, south to Florida and Kansas. In Alberta it has been collected twice in the badlands of the Red Deer River, at Dinosaur Provincial Park and at Tolman Bridge Recreational Area, east of Trochu.
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Citation
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Page Citation for Catocala praeclara
Page Citation
"Species Details - Catocala praeclara, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-810. Accessed 03 Nov. 2024.
References
AuthorSargent, Theodore, D
TitleLegion of night : the underwing moths
Publication Date1976
Pages222
Specimen Information
There are 6 specimens of this Species.
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6 results plotted on map in 6 markers. Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.