Catocala grotiana
kah-TOCK-uh-lahmmgroh-tee-AN-uh
Bailey, 1879

Catocala grotiana, Pinal Parks Rec Area, Gila County, Arizona,
September 9, 2011, courtesy of Evan Rand.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke.
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: Erebidae, Leach, [1815] Subfamily: Erebinae, Leach, [1815] Tribe: Catocalini, Boisduval, [1828] Genus: Catocala, Schrank, 1802

DISTRIBUTION:

Grote's Underwing, Catocala grotiana, (wingspan: 70-80mm), flies in Arizona and north through Utah into Colorado. It is also seen in Washington and in the western United States north and east of California: Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming.

Scott Shaw reports grotiana is common "on Pole Mountain, in the Medicine Bow Forest, Wyoming, about 10 miles east of Laramie near I-80 in the mountain willow bogs."

Catocala grotiana, Arizona, courtesy of Bruce Walsh.

The white outlines outside the postmedial and inside the subterminal lines make this species stand out. The hindwing inner black band is even and relatively thin and terminates well before the inner margin. The fringe is heavily checked and charcoal grey along the inner margin. Bruce Walsh image. Hindwings can be orange or red.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala grotiana are usually on the wing in August and September.

The Catocala grotiana caterpillar feeds on poplar and willow.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

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

Greer, White Mts, 8200'. Apache Co, AZ. Aug 2, 1997. Kelly Richers, collector, at uv trap

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.

Populus...... Salix

Poplar Willow

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Please send sightings/images to Bill. I will do my best to respond to requests for identification help.