Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFErebidae Members:
Catocala Members:
72 NC Records

Catocala muliercula Guenée, 1852 - Little Wife Underwing

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ErebinaeTribe: CatocaliniP3 Number: 930765.00 MONA Number: 8774.00
Comments: One of 103 species in this genus that occur in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010, 2015), 67 of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Included by Barnes and McDunnough (1918) in their Group IV (also adopted by Forbes, 1954). Members of this group feed on species of the Myricaceae; in addition to muliercula, this group includes Catocala antinympha and badia, both found north of our region.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Sargent (1976)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1954)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A large, dark brown Underwing with broad yellow-orange and dark brown bands on the hindwings. The ground color of the forewings is rich, reddish brown with a maroon sheen, darker in the basal third before the antmedian line, shaded with gray in the median area, and somewhat yellowish brown bordering the postmedian line. The antemedian line has two waves, the upper reaching nearly to the subreniform, and the lower located just below the anal vein; the postmedian has the typical toothed pattern, with the subrenifom created by a deep, often open loop. A dark, irregular subapical dash crosses the subterminal area. The hindwings have a particularly broad dark band along the outer margin; the two orange bands are narrower and yellowish rather than reddish. Some forms of Catocala innubens are similarly red-brown on the forewings but the pale bands on the hindwings are reeder-orange than in muliercula.
Wingspan: 60-70 mm (Sargent, 1976)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Yellow brown, with rows of white tubercles and often lateral stripes of dark brown; the head with two lateral white dashes (Forbes, 1954)
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The range of this species closely matches the distribution of Waxmyrtle within the state: extensive in the Coastal Plain but occurring well into the Piedmont
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: Univoltine, with adults flying from June to early August
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come from a wide variety of Coastal Plain habitats, including maritime forest and scrub on the barrier islands, peatlands, savannas, and bottomland forests in the inner portion of the Coastal Plain. All of these habitats are wet to mesic and support populations of Common Waxmyrtle as well as other members of this genus. Natural habitats used in the Piedmont need further study, but at least one individual was found in a residential neighborhood where the only Waxmyrtles were planted as ornamentals (S. Hall, pers. obs., Orange County).
Larval Host Plants: Feeds on Common Waxmyrtle (Morella cerifera) - View
Observation Methods: Comes to lights to some extent and can be common at bait; sometimes flushed during the day
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Myricaceous Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species occurs extensively across the eastern half of the state, feeds on a common host plant, and occupies a wide range of habitats: it appears to be secure within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Catocala muliercula - Little Wife Underwing

41 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-07-12
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan, and Steve Hall on 2022-07-25
Scotland Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan, and Steve Hall on 2022-07-25
Scotland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-07-17
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-07-17
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-07-06
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-06-15
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-06-10
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-07-13
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-08-20
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-11
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-07-11
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Morgan Freese on 2020-06-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2020-06-16
Craven Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2020-06-16
Craven Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-06-14
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-06-14
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2019-07-30
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-13
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-13
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-13
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-13
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Solomon and Taryn Beachler, submitted by Owen McConnell on 2019-06-23
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-22
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-22
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-22
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-06-06
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-05-27
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2018-09-07
Duplin Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2018-06-27
Brunswick Co.
Comment: