Catocala retecta
kah-TOCK-uh-lah mm reh-TEK-tuh
Grote, 1872

Catocala retecta, August 25, 2003, courtesy of Tom Murray copyright

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

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DISTRIBUTION: Catocala retecta (wingspan: 60-75mm) flies from southern Ontario and Quebec south through Maine to Georgia and west to Arkansas and Kansas and north to Wisconsin. John Himmelman took this picture, September 5, 2003, in Connecticut. He was surprised to find the moth on his shoe while checking the lights in the morning.

The light grey forewing is clearly marked with a basal dash that continues with another dash through the antemedial line, followed by another anal dash almost forming a bar parallel to the inner margin. The hindwing fringe is white and is only lightly barred at the veins. The "teeth" in the medial line are elongated and dark. Catocala retecta courtesy of John Himmelman, Connecticut, September 5, 2003.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Catocala retecta are on the wing from July to October. Peak flight is probably in August-September in the northern portions of range.

The Catocala retecta caterpillar feeds on Juglans and Carya species: pecan and hickories.

ECLOSION:

Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.

SCENTING AND MATING:

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

EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

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

Ron Nelson, teamed with Gabriel Larrabee, sent me the image below of Catocala retecta eggs from Milwaukee.

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.

Carya glabra Carya illinoinensis....... Carya ovata juglans nigra

Pignut hickory Pecan Shagbark hickory Black walnut

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Catocala retecta, posed scan on shagbark hickory by Bill Oehlke,
Pottersville, New Jersey, August 18, 2002.