A long known and undescribedCatocala in Louisiana by Vernon Antoine Brou Jr. 74320 Jack Loyd Road, Abita Springs, Louisiana 70420 email: [email protected] In Louisiana, I first encountered this small yellow-hindwing (Fig. 1), similar in appearance to Strecker about 37 years ago. It is quite common where found, though I have records only from nine of 64 parishes (Fig. 2). It can be collected while resting on tree trunks, ultra-violet light traps and fermenting fruit bait traps. It is not my intention to describe this underwing as a or subspecies here as others have stated their intention to do so. This phenotype was pictured by Sargent (1976) on plate 8, fig. 27 as jair (?) and called "jersey jair" in a discussion under similar species to (Hubner). There is no mention of this phenotype in Covell (1984), though jair is listed but not pictured. This phenotype appears quite similar to that pictured by Barnes & McDunnough (1918), plate 9 Fig. 11 as the type form of amica (Hubner). In their discussion about jair only the 30 type Fig. 1. Catocala phenotype, Fig. 2. Parish records for Catocala phenotype. specimens from Florida male. apparently were known at that 100 time by those authors, though May Jun Jul Aug they mention other published claims at that time of jair 75 occurring in New Jersey and . The dates of capture of this 50 undescribed underwing in Louisiana are shown in Fig. 3, illustrating a single brood with

25 number of adults possible protracted or bimodal distribution, occurring over a lengthy, three month flight period. 0 This underwing can be encountered by the dozens Fig. 3. Flight period of Catocala phenotype at sec.24T6SR12E, 4.2 miles NE resting on the trunks of each Abita Springs, Louisiana. n = 2527 large tree in forested areas and flies quickly in a flash to the opposite side of a large tree as Literature Cited one approaches. Barnes, Wm. and J. McDunnough 1918, Illustrations of the North American species of the Catocala. Mem. American Mus. Nat. Hist., New Series, Vol. III, Part 1. 47pp, 22 plates. Covell, Jr., C.V. 1984. A field guide to eastern North America. The Peterson Field Guide Series No. 30. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. xv + 469pp., 64 plates. Brou, Vernon A. 2004. A long known and undescribed Sargent, T.D. 1976, Legion of Night: The underwing moths. Amherst Univ. Mass. Press. Catocala in Louisiana. South. Lepid. News 26:74.