Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Erebidae Scientific name Catocala amestris | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Tribe Catocalini Rank Species | |
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Similar Catocala delilah, Catocala jessica, Catocala grynea, Catocala alabamae, Catocala junctura | ||
Catocala amestris, the three-staff underwing, is a species of Catocalini that occurs in North America. It is considered endangered and is legally protected in the state of Michigan.
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Description
Like most underwings, C. amestris has a brightly colored hindwing and brownish-gray forewings, the wingspan is 1.6-1.8in (4-4.5 cm). The forewings have a blotch that strongly resembles a kidney shape, beyond that the wing has mixed wavy lines. The hindwings have two wavy black lines separating a yellow-orange coloration. The caterpillar of this species is bluish white with a yellowish coloring on the dorsum, or top side. It also has an orange band along with 7 thin black lines on its sides.
Habitat
Between June and August this moth can be seen in dry-mesic prairie lands and oak forest. Due to only having one host plant, Amorpha canescens, the moth is hard to find in even these areas.