Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Erebidae Members:	Catocala Members:	71 NC Records

Catocala neogama (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Bride Underwing

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Erebidae

Subfamily:
Erebinae

Tribe:
Catocalini

P3 Number:
930790

MONA Number:
8798.00

Other Common Name:
The Bride

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 neogama, other members of this group that occur in North Carolina include retecta, dejecta, ulalume, insolabilis, myristica, vidua, maestosa, lachrymosa, palaeogama, nebulosa, and subnata.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)

Adult Markings: The ground color is greenish gray and fairly even in males; more mottled and shaded with blackish beyond the cell in females (Forbes, 1954). A basal dash is present in both sexes, with that of the female short and thick. Very similar in color and pattern to subnata but that species is usually much less mottled, with a paler gray ground color, and lacking any greenish shade.

Wingspan: 70-85 mm (Sargent, 1976)

Adult Structural Features: As discovered by Ferguson (in Sargent, 1976), the hind tibiae are flattened laterally and sparsely spined, whereas C. subnata has cylindrical hind tibiae that are well-spined.

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution:

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Our records come mainly from rich, mesic, hardwood forests. In the Coastal Plain, these include brownwater river floodplains and mesic hardwoods growing on bluffs. Piedmont sites include alluvial forests and one ridgetop associated with an extensive area of gabbro. Mountain records include mainly alluvial and cove forests.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) and Butternut (J. cinerea) (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 [S4S5]

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 neogama - Bride Underwing

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

	Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2025-09-17 Watauga Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2025-09-17 Watauga Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-09-10 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Marilyn Westphal. on 2025-09-05 Henderson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Marilyn Westphal. on 2025-09-05 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-29 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-29 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-26 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-11 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-11 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2024-09-08 Davidson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-03 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-03 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-08-13 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-19 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-05 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-05 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-03 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-08-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson, Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-17 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-09-14 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-08-08 Watauga Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-08-03 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2021-09-14 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-09-10 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2021-09-06 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2021-08-05 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-07-03 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-26 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-26 Madison Co. Comment: