Biology:Catocala amestris

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Short description: Species of moth

Three-staff underwing
Catocala amestris MGCL 1040559 D.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Catocala
Species:
C. amestris
Binomial name
Catocala amestris
Strecker, 1874[1][2]
Synonyms
  • Catocala anna Grote, 1874
  • Grote, 1878 Catocala westcottii

Catocala amestris, the three-staff underwing, is a species of Catocalini that occurs in North America. It is considered endangered and is legally protected in the state of Michigan.[3]

Description

Like most underwings, C. amestris has a brightly colored hindwing and brownish-gray forewings, the wingspan is 1.6-1.8in (4-4.5 cm). The forewings have a blotch that strongly resembles a kidney shape, beyond that the wing has mixed wavy lines. The hindwings have two wavy black lines separating a yellow-orange coloration. The caterpillar of this species is bluish white with a yellowish coloring on the dorsum, or top side. It also has an orange band along with 7 thin black lines on its sides.[4]

Habitat

Between June and August this moth can be seen in dry-mesic prairie lands and oak forest. Due to only having one host plant, Amorpha canescens, the moth is hard to find in even these areas.

References

Wikidata ☰ Q5053630 entry