Catocala desdemona
Encyclopedia
The Desdemona Underwing (Catocala desdemona) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in New Mexico
, Texas
and Arizona
.
It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of Catocala delilah
.
The wingspan
is 60-65 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June depending on the location. There is probably one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Quercus gambeli, Quercus macrocarpus and Salix.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of Catocala delilah
Catocala delilah
The Delilah Underwing is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from Ohio south to Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma, Arizona and Utah, through Mexico to Honduras....
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 60-65 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June depending on the location. There is probably one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Quercus gambeli, Quercus macrocarpus and Salix.