Catocala babayaga, Camp Verde, Yavapai, Arizona,
3147 feet, September 27, 2019, courtesy of Kathleen Green, id by Lawrence Gall.
The forewing is greyish-brown. Oblique am line has pointed lobes. The pm line has two upper teeth that are not greatly produced, with the upper
tooth noticebly wider and longer. Third tooth is greatly reduced, borders a brownish subterminal area, and is
followed by a larger tooth on the open subreniform line.
The double reniform spot is in a darker region of the wing. Just below it, the large, much lighter and open subreniform spot
breaks the pm line. There is a light area toward the costa on the body side, above the subreniform spot.
The hindwing is salmony-orange with a thin, relatively even black median band. The band angles slightly toward the inner margin
but is truncated well before same. Fringes are lighter orange as compared to basal and median areas and are heavily checked with black.
The inner margin has a fine grey fringe but the basal and median areas are pretty much devoid of any black or darker scaling.
Catocala babayaga = jessica, Arizona, courtesy of Bruce Walsh.
Catocala babayaga = jessica, Arizona, courtesy of Bruce Walsh.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
Catocala babayaga = jessica are usually on the wing in the fall: October.
The Catocala babayaga caterpillar shows a preference for willows and poplars.
ECLOSION:
Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.
SCENTING AND MATING:
Catocala babayaga = jessica 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.
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.
