Catocala ophelia
kah-TOCK-uh-lahmmoh-FEEL-ee-uh
Henry Edwards, 1880

Catocala ophelia, Los Angeles County, California, courtesy of Clark Thompson.

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 Family: Noctuidae Group: Noctuinina Subfamily: Catocalinae Genus: Catocala, Schrank, 1802

MIDI MUSIC "Moon River" copyright C. Odenkirk MIDI CITY ON.OFF <bgsound src="moon.mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Catocala ophelia (wingspan: 52mm) flies in the dry forests of Arizona, California and southwestern Oregon.

Dr. Wayne Whaley reports, "C. ophelia does come into Utah from the south where it is more common. I know of 2 or 3 specimens taken in Salt Lake Co. and Utah Co."

It has also been reported in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.

The moth formerly described as Catocala dollii is a synonym of Catocala opehlia.

Catocala ophelia female, Wolf Creek, Josephine County, Oregon,
September 7, 2009, courtesy of Edna Bottorff.

Catocala ophelia female, Wolf Creek, Josephine County, Oregon,
September 7, 2009, courtesy of Edna Bottorff, some digital repairs by Bill Oehlke.

Edna Bottorff writes, "I hate to trouble you, but can you identify this Catocala? It's not very big like some others. They are about the size of verrilliana just about an inch or so, and it's tattered, but hopefully there will be enought to go on.

"But I have eggs! Lots of them. She's in a sack with a plum, and she eats and lays eggs. What a cinch!"

Edna has had great success rearing and photographing some of the local Sphingidae so I am very hopeful she will have success overwintering the eggs and rearing and phtographing the larvae and subsequent moths. I was not one hundred percent sure of the id when I first saw the images depicted above, but I am quite confident after seeing the hidwings. I asked Edna to send me another photo after the female had expired.

Catocala ophelia female, Wolf Creek, Josephine County, Oregon,
September 14, 2009, courtesy of Edna Bottorff, some digital repairs by Bill Oehlke.

The forewing is dark grey and the antemedial and postmedial lines are relatively smooth except for the two jagged spikes in the postmedial line near the apex. There is considerable brown shading outside the subterminal line. The hindwing is deep red with the black median band constricted in the center and terminating before the inner margin. The black submarginal border is quite broad near the apex. The white fringe is heavily checked. David Wikle image reworked by Bill Oehlke.

The subspecies dolli Beutenmüller, 1907, flies in the same region.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala ophelia are on the wing in late summer, from mid July into early October in California.

The Catocala ophelia caterpillar feeds on Quercus macrocarpa and Quercus chrysolepis.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

Catocala ophelia females emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the scent plume.

Catocala ophelia ophelia male, Hualapai Mtn Rd, Mohave County, AZ.,
Aug 18 1991. collector, R.P. Meyer, courtesy of Kelly Richers.

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Eggs are deposited on tree bark in the fall and hatch the following spring.

Catocala ophelia, courtesy of Jeff Miller.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive, although some species seem very host specific. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Quercus macrocarpa Quercus chrysolepis.......

Bur oak Canyon live oak

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This page is brought to you by Bill Oehlke and the WLSS. Pages are on space rented from Bizland. If you would like to become a "Patron of the Sphingidae/Catocala Sites", contact Bill.

Please send sightings/images to Bill. I will do my best to respond to requests for identification help.