Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Catocala Members: 6 NC Records

Catocala minuta Edwards, 1864 - Little Underwing

Catocala minutaCatocala minuta
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Catocalini		P3 Number:
930856		 MONA Number:
8874.00
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.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Like Catocala micronympha, the color and pattern of this species is highly variable, with several named forms (Forbes, 1954). The ground color is usually some shade of brown but can also be somewhat greenish. A consistent white, crenulate, and waved subterminal line is present, that is particularly wide, and curved below the costa. Unlike the similar line found in micronympha, it is continuous rather than interrupted across the wing.
Wingspan: 35-45 mm (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 minutaAlamance 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: Our records come from sites where Honey Locust occurs.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on species of Gleditsia, including both Honey Locust (G. triacanthos) and Water Locust (G. aquatica) (Wagner et al., 2011). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Honey Locust Groves
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S2S3]
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 minuta - Little Underwing

Photos: 4
Catocala minutaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-06-16
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Catocala minutaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-06-04
Durham Co.
Comment:
Catocala minutaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-06-23
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Catocala minutaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2016-07-23
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: