Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Catocala Members: 93 NC Records

Catocala andromedae Guenée, 1852 - Andromeda Underwing

Catocala andromedaeCatocala andromedaeCatocala andromedaeCatocala andromedae
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Catocalini		P3 Number:
930835		 MONA Number:
8849.00		 Other Common Name:
Gloomy Underwing
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.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Sargent (1976)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color of the forewings is pale bluish-gray. A distinctive black band runs from the dark thorax along the inner margin to the apex. The antemedian is black and often incomplete, but with a conspicuous black trapezoidal spot located between the antemedian and the white subreniform spot. The postmedian is crenulate, narrow and black, followed by white. The subterminal band is white and scalloped. The hindwing is solidly black with a distinctive short white bar located at the apex. The fringe is otherwise mainly black.

Catocala gracilis is similar in forewing color and pattern, including the dark line along the inner margin but lacks the dark trapezoidal mark and has a narrow basal dash that is missing in andromedae; the hindwings of gracilis are also banded in orange and black rather than being solidly black.
Wingspan: 40-50 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 andromedaeAlamance 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: Most of our records come from dry, rocky ridges and summits in the Mountains but we also have several from flatwoods or possibly pocosin habitats.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are apparently oligophagous, feeding on azaleas (Rhododendron) and blueberry (Vaccinium), including Sparkleberry (V. arboreum) (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 [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 andromedae - Andromeda Underwing

Photos: 22
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-27
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-27
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-27
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-10
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: tom ward on 2023-08-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: tom ward on 2023-08-01
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2023-07-27
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-08-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-25
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2014-07-17
Warren Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2013-07-14
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2013-07-13
Warren Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2011-06-28
Warren Co.
Comment:
Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2010-06-22
Warren Co.
Comment: 		Catocala andromedaeRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2008-06-29
Bladen Co.
Comment: