Species Details

ABH: 72.078

BF: 2452

Family: Erebidae

Subfamily: Erebinae

Taxon: Catocala nupta

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1767)

Vernacular: Red Underwing

Account: Common in woodland, parks, scrub, marshes and gardens throughout much of England and Wales The most likely confusion species are the very much less common Light Crimson Underwing C. promissa and Dark Crimson Underwing C. sponsa, in both of which the subterminal line is strongly dentate, and Rosy Underwing C. electa, in which the forewing is uniformly pale grey, without ochreous tint, the reniform stigma less clearly defined and the postmedian line more strongly dentate subcostally, with a costally directed tooth (MBGBI Vol 10). Larva feeds on Black Poplar, White Poplar, Aspen, Crack Willow and White Willow, over-wintering as an egg.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 75 — 94 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 18 Jul (1976) — 29 Oct (1966)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Populus sp. (a poplar), Salix sp. (a sallow).

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/catocala-nupta/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 315

Individuals: 79

Earliest Year: 1883

Latest Year: 2025

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