Erebidae

Catocala amatrix Sweetheart Underwing

10 9 n=2 8 • • 7 High Mt. • 6 N 5 • u 4 3 • • m 2 • b 1 • 0 • e • • • • r 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 • 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 NC counties: 15 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec o 10 f 9 n=13 = Sighting or Collection 8 • 7 Low Mt. High counts of: in NC since 2001 F 6 • l 5 25 - Macon - 2001-08-17 = Not seen since 2001 4 • i 3 6 - Macon - 2000-09-03 g 2 Status Rank h 1 5 - Macon - 2001-07-15 0 NC US NC Global t 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 D Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec a 10 10 9 9 t 8 n=6 8 n=4 e 7 Pd 7 CP s 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 15 5 25 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Three periods to each month: 1-10 / 11-20 / 21-31 FAMILY: SUBFAMILY: Erebinae TRIBE: TAXONOMIC_COMMENTS: One of 103 species in this genus that occur in North America (Gall and Hawks, 2010; Kons and Borth, 2015a,b), 67 of which have been recorded in North Carolina.

FIELD GUIDE DESCRIPTIONS: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012) ONLINE PHOTOS: TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, ADULTS: TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, IMMATURE STAGES:

ID COMMENTS: A large underwing . Fore-wings have a flat yellowish or grayish-brown ground color but with a pale gray sheen that is more or less evident depending on the lighting and angle of view. The typical form (nurus, according to Holland, , and Forbes, 1954) has a heavy dark basal dash that usually is joined with a median and apical dash that crosses the wing diagonally; in form selecta, the dashes are reduced or absent (Sargent, 1976). The antemedian and postmedian lines are dark and contrasting in the upper half of the wing but paler towards the inner margin; the upper portion of the antemedian is fairly wavy and runs obliquely in from the costa (less smooth and curved than in cara and carissima) and often has an inward-pointing tooth at or near the radius (an outward tooth is usually prominent in cara and carissima). A large sub-reniform spot is present and usually joined to the antemedian by a dark patch or lines (Sargent, 1976). The hindwings are strongly marked with red and black bands, similarly to cara and carissima, but lack the black basal area present in those species.

DISTRIBUTION: Please refer to the dot map.

FLIGHT COMMENT: Please refer to the flight charts.

HABITAT: Our records come mainly from wetland habitats, including several where either Eastern Cottonwoods or Swamp Cottonwoods are known to occur. However, it has also been recorded at some sites where only willows are known. It has also been recorded on some high ridges in the Mountains where neither willows nor cottonwoods seem likely to be present; Bigtooth Aspen has been recorded at least at one of those sites, however.

FOOD: Poplars, including cultivated species; perhaps also willows (Wagner et al., 2011)

OBSERVATION_METHODS:

NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM RANKS: G5 S4

STATE PROTECTION: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

COMMENTS:

March 2021 The of North Carolina - Early Draft 1