Catocala cerogama
kah-TOCK-uh-lah mm seer-OH-gam-uh
Guenee, 1852

Catocala cerogama Philipsburg, Québec,
August 11 2004, courtesy of Jean-Benoît Duval.

This site has been created by Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: Noctuidae Group: Noctuinina Subfamily: Catocalinae Genus: Catocala, Schrank, 1802

MIDI MUSIC "Moon River" copyright C. Odenkirk MIDI CITY ON.OFF <bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Catocala cerogama, The Yellow-Banded Underwing, (wingspan: 70-80mm) flies in Canada from southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba to Ontario to Nova Scotia and then south through Connecticut to Georgia and west to Missouri and North Dakota. Tom Middagh reports them in Minnesota.

The specimen below is form "ruperti". Form "bunkeri" is extremely rare and lacks the yellow scales in the basal area of the hindwing. Tim Dyson copyright took this image in Peterborough, Ontario, August 25, 2004.

The species is highly variable with at least three forms: "bunkeri" Grote, 1876, heavy brown forewing shading, "eliza" Fischer, 1885, with white forewing patches "ruperti" Franclemont, 1938, melanic form with deep black-brown forewing. There is an aberration, "aurella" with yellow basal hairs on the hindwing. Otherwise the black inner and outer bands are very wide and uniform with brown basal hairs covering the basal area. All bands are clearly visible on ventral surface. Catocala cerogama courtesy of Lynn Scott.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS: Catocala cerogama are usually on the wing from late July to late September in Quebec. When springs and summers are warm, they begin to appear mid July in southern Ontario. Catocala cerogama, July 20, 2005, Peterborough, Ontario, courtesy of Tim Dyson.

Larvae feed on Tilia americana and Tilia glabra.

Adults come to lights and to bait. Moths usually rest high on trees with head down.

Catocala cerogama, August 17, 2004, Peterborough, Ontario, courtesy of Tim Dyson copyright.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala cerogama 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. The the larval images to the right and below were taken and sent to me by Ron Nelson. They are from rearings of Gabriel Larrabee. Larvae are being reared on Basswood.

Ron Nelson, teamed with Gabriel Larrabee, sent me the images below of Catocala cerogama eggs from Milwaukee.

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.

Tilia americana..... Tilia glabra

Basswood American Linden

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