Eribidae : Eribinae
Red Underwing
CATOCALA nupta (Linnaeus 1767)
Red Underwing
CATOCALA nupta (Linnaeus 1767)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 75-95mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe east to Siberia - Far East,Japan
UK Distribution: Central & SE England,East Anglia,Lincolnshire,Midlands & E Wales - well distributed : SW England,W Wales,N England to Cumbria,Isle of Man - local : Channel Isles - widespread and frequent
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Broadleaved Woodland
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon in bark crevice or among plant debris
Overwinters as: Ovum deposited on a tree trunk or hidden in a bark crevice
Observations: This large moth is probably the most common of the Cotocala family but not necessarily being attracted to the light trap it is possibly under recorded.
The moth is attracted to light but generally finds a light source at height like I found two specimens on the light of an underpass,which were out of reach and gone very quickly if disturbed.
The forewing is in shades of grey with dentate cross lines and darker grey marbling in the median area and scalloped termen on both the forewing and the hindwing.
The hindwing which gives the moth its name is is red with wide terminal black band and thinner central black band.
Forewing markings,hindwing colour and scarcity of the similar species help in differentiating this moth.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe east to Siberia - Far East,Japan
UK Distribution: Central & SE England,East Anglia,Lincolnshire,Midlands & E Wales - well distributed : SW England,W Wales,N England to Cumbria,Isle of Man - local : Channel Isles - widespread and frequent
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = > 300 10km squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena (Noctua) nupta (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Phalaena nupta (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Germany
Habitat: Broadleaved Woodland
Similar Species -
- Light Crimson Underwing - Catocala promissa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
- Dark Crimson Underwing - Catocala sponsa (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Rosy Underwing - Catocala electa (Vieweg, 1790)
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon in bark crevice or among plant debris
Overwinters as: Ovum deposited on a tree trunk or hidden in a bark crevice
Observations: This large moth is probably the most common of the Cotocala family but not necessarily being attracted to the light trap it is possibly under recorded.
The moth is attracted to light but generally finds a light source at height like I found two specimens on the light of an underpass,which were out of reach and gone very quickly if disturbed.
The forewing is in shades of grey with dentate cross lines and darker grey marbling in the median area and scalloped termen on both the forewing and the hindwing.
The hindwing which gives the moth its name is is red with wide terminal black band and thinner central black band.
Forewing markings,hindwing colour and scarcity of the similar species help in differentiating this moth.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus alba - White Poplar
- Populus canadensis - Golden Carolina Poplar
- Populus nigra - Black Poplar - Lombardy Poplar (ssp italia)
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Salix alba - White Willow
- Salix babylonica - Weeping Willow
- Salix fragilis - Crack Willow
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species CATOCALA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Noctuoidea Erebidae Erebinae Catocalini CATOCALA Schrank, 1802 Catocala nupta (Linnaeus, 1767) - Phalaena nupta (Linnaeus, 1767) - PHALAENA (Noctua) nupta (Linnaeus,1767) = Catocala unicuba Walker, [1858] - Syst. Nat. (Edn 12) 1 (2). : Title page : p.841 - n.119 - Germany - C.n.concubia Walker, [1858] - N.Hindstan C.n.obscurata Oberthür,1880 - SE Siberia C.n.nuptialsis Staudinger,1901 - Altai C.n.centralasiae Kusnezov, 1903 C.n.nozawae Matsumura, 1911 - Japan C.n.kansiensis O.Bang-Haas, 1927 - Kansu C.n.clara Osthelder, 1933 - Turkey C.n.japonica Mell,1936 C.n.likiandensis Mell, 1936 - Yunnan C.n.alticola Mell, 1942 - Yunnan |