Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members:
Catocala Members:
59 NC Records

Catocala sordida Grote, 1877 - Sordid Underwing

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ErebinaeTribe: CatocaliniP3 Number: 930832.00 MONA Number: 8846.00
Comments: One of 103 species in this genus that occur in North America (Gall and Hawks, 2010; Kons and Borth, 2015a,b), 67 of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Barnes and MacDunnough (1918) and Forbes (1954) placed this species in Group XV, which also includes C. gracilis and andromedae, all associated with heaths.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Wingspan: 40-45 m (Sargent, 1976)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
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 from both dry, rocky ridges and summits in the Mountains and Piedmont and from sandhills and flatwoods in the Coastal Plain
Larval Host Plants: Stenophagous, with larvae feeding on Vacciniums (particularly angustifolium and pallidum) (Wagner et al., 2011) - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Upland Heath Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S4
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 sordida - Sordid Underwing

Photos: 9

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-08-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-08-23
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-08-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-07-22
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-06-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Erich Hofmann, Jesse Anderson on 2023-05-22
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-09
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall on 1992-06-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment: