This site has been created by
Bill Oehlke at oehlkew@islandtelecom.com
Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.
TAXONOMY:Superfamily: Noctuoidea |
"Moon River" |
Catocala maestosa, the Sad Underwing (wingspan: 78-98mm), flies from New York south to Florida and Alabama, west to Texas and eastern Oklahoma and north to Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota.It has also been reported in Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Maestosa is quite similar to, although usually larger than, vidua. Both have the dark arc from the costa, above the reniform spot, to the outer margin just below the apex. Maesotsa, however, lacks the dark bar, found on vidua, parallel to the inner margin. The reniform spot is brown and there is brown shading just outside the postmedial line. The hindwing fringe is white, narrow and heavily barred. |  Image courtesy of Charles S. Lewallen |
Catocala maestosa, Central Park, New York, courtesy of Marie Winn.
In Mississippi this moth has been taken from April to November, probably as a single brood with a very haphazard emergence pattern. The Catocala maestosa caterpillar feeds on hickories, pecans and walnuts.
Catocala maestosa on Bur Oak, Leon River, Coryell County, Texas,
August 5, 2009, courtesy of Eric Runfeldt.
"So far all of my sightings have been in Bell county, Texas on the creeks/river bottom of Belton Lake.
"I noticed yesterday that not long after landing these fold their antennae along their wingline."
Eric added on the following day, "After looking around I noticed that although Pecan trees, (Carya illinoinensis), were scattered among the trees, the major number of Sad Wing's were resting on Bur Oaks, (Quercus macrocarpa), and some were resting on Cottonwood trees, (Populus deltoides).
"I did not see any on Elm, (Ulmus rubra), or Sugarberry, (Celtis laevigata), trees also in the area, they would fly right by any tree less than 24in. in diameter. A few were resting 5-7ft from the ground, some were within 6 inches of the ground and I saw none over 8ft. Even after being flushed they returned to less than 6ft, I don't believe I was ever allowed within 3ft before they flushed. Almost all were hanging nose down and returned to that postion after flushing and landing. Most were on the shade side of the tree, a few on the brighter side, but none in full sun."
Visit Catocala maestosa, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, September 24, 2011, courtesy of Stephen Kloiber via Curt Lehman, BAMONA rep.
Catocala maestosa larva, New Braunfels, Texas, May 31, 2007,
courtesy of Jason Fowler, tentative id by Larry Gall.
Tammy Mauldin of Jefferson County, Alabama, sent the following image for identification. She found it under a pecan tree, indicating a length between 2.5 and 3 inches.
Catocala maestosa, Jefferson County, Alabama, May 2009, courtesy of Tammy Mauldin.
Carya aquatica |
Water hickory |
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Enjoy some of nature's wonderments, giant silk moth cocoons. These cocoons are for sale winter and fall. Beautiful Saturniidae moths will emerge the following spring and summer. Read Actias luna rearing article. Additional online help available.
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