Catocala amica
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Catocala amica, the girlfriend underwing, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1818. It is found from southern Canada (Ontario and Quebec) through the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, ranging westward to Oklahoma and Arizona, northward to Minnesota and southwestward to Texas.
The wingspan of adults is 35–40 mm. They are generally easy to recognize by the cryptically patterned forewings, the yellow background color of their hindwings, and the black pattern on the latter. This consists of a black band along the outer edge, save for the hindmost part where a separate black dot is found. Forewing hue varies a lot, but similar sympatric species usually have an additional black band running across the central hindwings. Unlike in many (but not all) other underwing moths, their tibiae are all spineless.
Adults are on the wing from June to September depending on the location; they are often attracted to UV light at night. The caterpillars feed on oak (Quercus) species, including. Of section Quercus Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa)
Chestnut oak (Q. prinus) Dwarf chinkapin oak (Q. prinoides) Post oak (Q. stellata... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Girlfriend Underwing sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 982nd most-seen of the 1624 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Girlfriend Underwing in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of Austin's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 45 mm in February.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Girlfriend Underwing sightings, Austin has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Chicago (United States, under 5%) and Toronto (Canada, under 5%).
Same genus: Catocala
The closest relatives of the Girlfriend Underwing that you can see in Austin (genus Catocala, Underwing Moths) are Sad Underwing (about 10%), Little Nymph Underwing (about 10%) and Agrippina Underwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Girlfriend Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Austin (15 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
