Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

13 August 2004   12:12AM EST  (top)
7 August 2003   10:08PM EST  (center left)
17 August 2004   9:22PM EST  (center right)
24 August 2003   9:10PM EST  (bottom left)
20 August 2003   9:27PM EST  (bottom right)

Catocala concumbens, sometimes termed the Sleepy Underwing or Pink 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.

Catocala concumbens has a light gray forewing with some whitish and/or tan shading. The wing is palest along the costa where the fine black basal, antemedial and postmedial lines are very clear. The reniform spot is yellowish white, and somewhat diffuse. The subreniform spot is partially outlined by a black extension of the postmedial line, which can be seen to bend inward in a sort of club shape, the subreniform spot being the head of the club (best seen in photos at top and center right). A whitish zigzag subterminal line, bordered with darker gray, is usually evident. The terminal line is marked by a series of dots preceding the gray fringe. This is one species not shy about showing off its hindwing, which is banded in a deep brilliant pink and black, with a whitish fringe. According to Covell (1984), Catocala concumbens has a wingspan of 6.0 to 7.5 cm.

According to Handfield (1999), the larvae of Catocala concumbens feed on willow and poplar, including trembling aspen. He indicates an adult flight season from just after mid-July to the beginning of October for my general area.

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