One of my more frequently encountered species is Judith's Underwing (Catocala judith). The wingspan is 45-55mm. This small black species was named by Herman Strecker in 1874. Although, somewhat common at times I have always found it difficult to retain very many choice and/or clean examples. The bla...

Here we have a smaller catocala species (55-60 mm)
known as the Serene Underwing (Catocala serena).
As with most catocala it has one generation a year.

I have found it to be an infrequent visitor in my region.
A delightful find when in good condition.

This is a species of "Rove beetle" of the family Staphylinidae. These are harmless and they're actually predators in their world. This is not some grain pest.... Despite their shortened wing covers they're flying wings unfold quite nicely from beneath them thus they are very capable flyers...

Having been an exterminator for a 3-year period I can best suggest that you set off a "bug bomb"in the bedroom in question. Within a prescribed number of hours usually listed on the canister you can return and anything and everything that may have been living in that space will be dead. Ei...

It's very cool to experience "out of the ordinary" occurrences with insects. I still recall quite vividly the experience that I had in my early teens when some friends stopped over at my house and told me about all these monarch butterflies landing on a huge tree branch by a neighbor's hou...

Here are a couple more of my Tearful Underwing (Catocala lacrymosa) captures featuring that "marbled" appearance which only shows itself periodically here and there. Quite noticeable against the general torrent of "typical" ones that I've encountered. https://i.imgur.com/qjot4Hf....

Our Youthful Underwing (Catocala subnata) is a large (80-90mm) species with a yellow/orange appearance to its hindwings. In my general area it remains an infrequent visitor to light or bait. Been a few years since I've encountered one.... https://i.imgur.com/fehF5pR.jpeg The similarly sized yet, muc...

Very nice captures indeed Billg ! 😲🎉 Yep, they look fresh hatch. Not strays.... Don't know of anyone else who has encountered the species here in Illinois so, those may be important examples. I suppose if I ever get to the Natural History survey in Champaign I will look to see if there are any examp...

Hey Billg,

Very nice to hear that you have actually picked up a couple of specimens of C. briseis here. I don't know anyone else that has....

Could they have been strays ?
Were their colors too fresh to have been that so, maybe it is just rarely encountered ?

Wonderful series of C. briseis mothman55 showing the wonderful variation that occurs !

The first and second relicta in your photograph are certainly quite unique in their own right. Some wonderful self-collected specimens....

I read an article a while back that said academics generally have a "window" of intellectual productivity. The article mentioned that between the ages of our mid-20s (fresh out of schooling) and up to and including our early 50s most people are at the peak of their personal intellectual ca...

The concept of doing Mona fascicles these days is "bewildering" to me. It seems a concept of a different time --- when people's lives were less impacted by fewer things pulling them in all sorted directions, fewer species were known, and when the "human nature" of people was more...

Here is a lovely medium-sized species which is found in our upper northeast region of the US. Some western records exist as well and are associated mostly with the Rocky mountains and nearby ranges. The Ribbed or Briseis underwing (Catocala briseis) is a very nice boldly marked/patterned species. Th...

Outstanding specimen !

Very nicely done on the spreading !

Thank you Bill for the comparison photograph. I zoomed in on the lower specimens forewing "wing pattern" and I can see many points where certain markings, line squiggles, blank cells are all pretty much in the same place except that it is a VERY melanic appearing individual. It could be th...

Another underwing species which shows considerable variation is the Tearful Underwing (Catocala lacrymosa). I will try to periodically post pictures of some of my most interesting examples of this species but, for now this will be a start. Here I offer a quite (typical) example of the species which ...

A lesser seen/encountered variation of C. relicta is this one. Unlike, the much more salt/peppered look of (form) phrynia this one seems to have more "stabilized" boundaries where the black/white meet. This is just my humble opinion and for all I know this (could) be another form with a na...

Surely, one of THE most respendent and unusual catocala species to encounter in northern N. America is this one: The White Underwing (Catocala relicta) https://i.imgur.com/dk8PdpL.jpeg The common name derives from it being a white-colored member of the Catocala clan. This is quite unique as most all...

Very nicely put Billg. Chuck was a long time friend of mine for 27 years. I have much to admire, appreciate, and forever treasure (in my lifetime) through his efforts. He was a purveyor of Natural History artifacts for at least 43 years ! In my prepared eulogy at his funeral I remarked at its end th...

Hello Tim,, Well, now that you have heard from both "sides of the aisle" on this topic you will find your path somewhere in the middle ---- I hope. There has been some good suggestions made here of how NOT TO LOOK LIKE A TOURIST and of how to stay "below the radar" of general att...