Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
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View PDFErebidae Members: Catocala Members: 24 NC Records

Catocala maestosa Hulst, 1884 - Sad Underwing


Catocala maestosaCatocala maestosaCatocala maestosa
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
Family:
Erebidae
Subfamily:
Erebinae
Tribe:
Catocalini
P3 Number:
930789
MONA Number:
8793.00
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 VI (also adopted by Forbes, 1954). This groups comprises 15 species, all of which feed on Hickories or Walnuts (Juglandaciae). In addition to maestosa, other members of this group that occur in North Carolina include retecta, dejecta, ulalume, insolabilis, myristica, vidua, lachrymosa, palaeogama, nebulosa, subnata, and neogama.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Wingspan: 80-90 mm (Sargent, 1976)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Catocala maestosaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: We have several records from urban areas, where planted Pecan may be the hosts. We also have a few records from brownwater river floodplains, where Bitternut Hickory or Water Hickory may be used.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) and other Apocarya section hickories, as well as on walnut (Juglans) (Wagner et al., 2011). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Rich Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Catocala maestosa - Sad Underwing

Photos: 29
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2024-09-01
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2024-09-01
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-08-12
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-09-26
Wake Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-08-01
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-10-02
Orange Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2021-09-02
Orange Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2021-09-02
Orange Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-09-21
Durham Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-13
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-13
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2020-08-18
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: L. M. Carlson on 2019-10-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Salman Abdulali on 2019-09-08
Pitt Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-08-27
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-08-27
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: L. M. Carlson on 2018-09-18
Orange Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Susannah Goldston on 2018-08-10
Lee Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Mary Stevens, Paul Hart on 2017-08-16
Harnett Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: J. Anderson on 2010-06-17
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Salman Abdulali on 2007-08-19
Pitt Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2006-08-05
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: FKW, SBW on 2004-08-15
Gates Co.
Comment:
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: K. Winterhalter on 1987-00-00
Durham Co.
Comment: Reared from a larva collected on a Pecan. Wingspan = 8.3 cm; forewing length = 4.1 cm.
Catocala maestosa
Recorded by: H.H. Neunzig on 1972-10-05
Columbus Co.
Comment: Specimen in the NCSU Insect Museum. Wingspan = 7.5 cm; forewing length = 4.0 cm.