Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Catocala Members: 99 NC Records

Catocala similis Edwards, 1864 - Similar Underwing

Catocala similisCatocala similisCatocala similisCatocala similis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Catocalini		P3 Number:
930855		 MONA Number:
8873.00
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 similis in Group XVIII, as its only member.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color is ash gray (Forbes, 1954). Patches of pale greenish gray are typically present in the basal area, at the reniform, and in an elongated costo-apical spot. The lines are single and black and very distinctive. A basal line is present and the antemedian consists of three outward loops, the middle one particularly broad. The postmedian by itself is highly diagnostic, unlike that of any other of our species of Catocala. It has a sharp, highly retracted bend immediately below the costa and then runs a straight course parallel to the costa, then making a sharp, obtuse bend past the reniform spot, forming another cusp at the end of the cell then running fairly straight across the wing until just before the inner margin, where it makes another sharp inset before terminating. a narrow, straight band of dark reddish-brown usually follows the postmedian. The reniform is typically pale and conspicuous with a less conspicuous pale subreniform just below it. Hindwings are yellow banded with black, with the outer band constricted partway to the anal angle.
Wingspan: 40-45 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 similisAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Wagner et al. (2011) state that this species is associated with sandy, dry-oak woodlands with small oaks. Our records come almost entirely from maritime dunes and sand ridges in the Coastal Plain. Only a few records come from the Piedmont and Mountains, with several from dry woodland habitats.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on oaks, including Scrub Oak (Quercus ilicifolia) and Blackjack Oak (Q. marilandica) (Wagner et al., 2011). In North Carolina, J.B. Sullivan reared larvae from Turkey Oak (Q. laevis) and Bluejack Oak (Q. incana). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Dry-Xeric 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 similis - Similar Underwing

 43 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Catocala similisRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-23
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-23
Moore Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-18
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-18
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-31
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-31
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2025-05-31
Currituck Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-30
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-30
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-25
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-23
Carteret Co.
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Catocala similisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-06-11
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment: Larva on Smilax at the base of a Live Oak (the probable host). ID by Larry Gall.
Catocala similisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Erich Hofmann, Jesse Anderson on 2023-05-22
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-05-31
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2022-05-26
Carteret Co.
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Catocala similisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2022-05-21
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-06
Wake Co.
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Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2021-06-04
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-06-01
Carteret Co.
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Catocala similisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-06-01
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-06-19
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Catocala similisRecorded by: Christa Rogers on 2016-06-06
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Catocala similisRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2016-04-12
New Hanover Co.
Comment: