Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
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View PDFErebidae Members: 100 NC Records

Catocala vidua (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Widow Underwing

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ErebinaeTribe: CatocaliniP3 Number: 930782.00 MONA Number: 8792.00
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 VI (also adopted by Forbes, 1954). This groups comprises 15 species, all of which feed on Hickories or Walnuts (Juglandaciae). In addition to vidua, other members of this group that occur in North Carolina include retecta, dejecta, ulalume, insolabilis, myristica, maestosa, lachrymosa, palaeogama, nebulosa, subnata, and neogama.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA                                                                                 
Wingspan: 70-80 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.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on most, if not all, section Carya Hickories; also reared in captivity on Walnut but not confirmed in the field (Wagner et al., 2011)
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 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 vidua - Widow Underwing

46 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-18
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-03
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-01
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-10-01
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-09-17
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-09-10
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2021-09-08
Chatham Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2020-10-06
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-09-15
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-15
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-07
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-07
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-07-27
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-09-30
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-09-30
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2019-09-23
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Deborah Hansen, Jim McConnell, and Owen and Pat McConnell on 2019-08-16
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2019-07-30
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-10-06
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-10-06
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-10-06
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2017-10-19
Mecklenburg Co.
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Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2017-09-27
Stokes Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2017-09-19
Yancey Co.
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Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2017-09-18
McDowell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2017-09-18
McDowell Co.
Comment: