Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Catocala Members: 17 NC Records

Catocala sappho Strecker, 1874 - Sappho Underwing

Catocala sappho
view caption 		Catocala sapphoCatocala sapphoCatocala sappho
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Catocalini		P3 Number:
930776		 MONA Number:
8786.00
Comments: One of 103 species in this genus that occur in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010, 2015), 67 of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Included by Barnes and McDunnough (1918) in their Group V (also adopted by Forbes, 1954). This groups comprises 10 species, all of which feed on Hickories or Walnuts (Juglandaciae). In addition to sappho, other members of this group that occur in North Carolina include habilis, serena, robinsonii, judith, flebilis, angusi, obscura, and residua.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Sargent (1976)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A large, pale gray Underwing with a strongly contrasting reddish brown reniform and dark blotches at the costal ends of the antemedian and postmedian lines. Hindwings are dark with a white fringe (Forbes, 1954). Unlikely to be confused with any other of our Underwing species.
Wingspan: 70-75 mm (Sargent, 1976)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Wagner et al. (2011) describe the larvae as greenish lichen mimics, with short rootlet setae and a black mask between the eyes. The specimen they illustrate is pale gray with a series of darker gray spots located within a subdorsal band and a series of gray crescents running laterally above the legs.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Our records span the state
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Catocala sapphoAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: Univoltine, with adults appearing in mid- to late summer and peaking in the fall.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records all come from stands of hardwoods, ranging from fairly mesic slopes and riparian habitats to dry ridgetops.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are stenophagous, feeding on hickories. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically mention Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) and other section Carya hickories, but Forbes (1954) and Sargent (1976) state Pecan (C. illinoinensis - a section Apocarya species) is the host. We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Observation Methods: Comes to light to some extent but like other Underwings may come better to bait. Several of our records come from daytime observations when individuals were flushed from trunks; tapping is, thus, likely to be an effective method for recording this species.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W-PK
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 S2S3
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Sargent (1976) described sappho as generally considered very rare, although locally common and regularly observed at some sites in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Wagner et al. (2011) likewise describe this species as scarce outside of Florida and the Southern Appalachians. Since this species may be irruptive, it is not clear how many of our observations represent resident populations. More information is needed -- particularly through documenting larvae -- to determine its status, host plant use, and habitat range as it exists in North Carolina before its conservation needs can be estimated.

 Photo Gallery for Catocala sappho - Sappho Underwing

Photos: 9
Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-14
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-08-07
Graham Co.
Comment:
Catocala sapphoRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-07-18
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Steve Hall on 1998-07-01
Pender Co.
Comment: Wingspan = 6.5 cm; forewing length = 3.9 cm.
Catocala sapphoRecorded by: Steve Hall on 1987-07-00
Orange Co.
Comment: 1987 may have been an outbreak year for this species. I saw several in the Orange County area during the course of several weeks but haven't seen them in this area since then.