Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Catocala Members: 61 NC Records

Catocala sordida Grote, 1877 - Sordid Underwing

Catocala sordidaCatocala sordidaCatocala sordida
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Catocalini		P3 Number:
930832		 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 Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-grayish species variably shaded with black, whitish, and brown. This species lacks a basal dash but the antemedian and postmedian lines are typically black and fine but occasionally obsolete. The inner margin is usually concolorous with the rest of the forewing but sometimes shaded with black, although usually with a much narrower area than in gracilis. The hindwings are banded with black and orange and are similar to those of gracilis but the postmedian band usually extends basally along the fold rather than ending abruptly as in gracilis. The most reliable difference separating sordida from gracilis, however, is the absence of a basal dash in sordida (Sargent, 1976).
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.
Catocala sordidaAlamance 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 Hanover 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: 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: Larvae are stenophagous, feeding on Vaccinium species, particularly Lowbush Blueberry (V. angustifolium) and Hillside Blueberry (V. pallidum) (Wagner et al., 2011). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Upland Heath Thickets
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 sordida - Sordid Underwing

Photos: 10
Catocala sordida
Recorded by: David George, David Cheng, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sordida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-05
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Catocala sordida
Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-04
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sordida
Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-04
Moore Co.
Comment:
Catocala sordida
Recorded by: Stefanie Hedrick on 2024-06-25
Moore Co.
Comment: Photo taken on a moth sheet with 5 mm squares.		Catocala sordida
Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-07-22
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Catocala sordida
Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-06-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sordida
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-09
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala sordida
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sordida
Recorded by: Steve Hall on 1992-06-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment: