Catocala coniuncta

Minsmere crimson underwing
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Catocala
Species:
C. coniuncta
Binomial name
Catocala coniuncta
(Esper, 1787)
Synonyms
  • Catocala conjuncta (lapsus)
  • Phalaena coniuncta Esper, 1787
  • Noctua conjuga Hübner, [1803]
  • Catocala conjuncta vivida Warren, 1913
  • Catocala conjuncta perrettei Seyer, 1976

Catocala coniuncta is a circum-Mediterranean species of moth whose range extends across southern Europe, North Africa and extending to the Middle East. Its species name has for a long time been misspelled "conjuncta"; this was only corrected in 2010.[citation needed]

Like other related species C. coniuncta has mottled brown fore-wings and crimson-red hind-wings with a black central line. The species differs from its European congeners in the shape of the post-median line on the fore-wing and the straighter black line on the hind-wings. The larvae feed on holm oak (Quercus ilex).

Extra-limitally, C. coniuncta has occurred just once in Britain, being found at light by Robin Harvey at the RSPB Minsmere reserve on the Suffolk coast on 14 September 2004.[1] Following this record the English name Minsmere crimson underwing has been adopted.

References

  1. ^ Higgott, J. B. and Harvey, R. M., 2005. Catocala conjuncta (Esper, 1787) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) new to the British Isles. Entomologist’s Gazette. 56: 217-222