Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

12 July 2004   (moth captured on night of 10/11 July 2004)  (top)
11 July 2004   12:31AM EST  (center left)
17 July 2003   11:09PM EST  (center right)
22 July 2003   (moth captured on night of 17 July 2003)  (bottom left)
26 July 2005   11:51PM EST  (bottom right)
The photos at top and center left are of the same specimen, as are the photos at center right and bottom left.

Catocala coccinata, also termed the Scarlet Underwing, is one of 28 species of Catocala that have been recorded from the Ottawa area (J.D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001). To date, I have observed 19 of these species at my location. Collectively, these are referred to as the underwing moths, for their often-colorful hindwings.

The forewing of Catocala coccinata is moderately light gray with some mottling. The black basal dash is quite diffuse and fairly broad, sometimes with traces of sharper black lines visible within the dash.  The black antemedial line may also appear somewhat diffuse in the vicinity of the outer end of the basal dash. In the median, the reniform and subreniform spots are clearly outlined, both filled with paler gray that may sometimes appear slightly yellowed.  The black postmedial line is usually quite sharp, with a well defined double outward zigzag above a double inward scallop before the typical sharp inward bend near the inner margin.  The whitish subterminal line is sharply zigzag. The veins are marked with fine black lines near the outer margin, and the terminal line and fringe have a finely stitched appearance.  The hindwing is banded in brilliant scarlet and black, with a white fringe, partially streaked with black, and with a few slight touches of scarlet. Covell (1984) indicates a wingspan of 5.7 to 7 cm.

According to Handfield (1999), the larvae of Catocala coccinata feed on oak. He indicates an adult flight season from before mid-July to mid-August for my general area.

My records to date for Catocala coccinata (each date representing "the night of") are in the table below: