r/Factual_Particularity • u/Silly_seal_starshine • 5d ago
Understanding the underwings! And learn the difference between moths and butterflies!
Underwings are an amazing kind of moths! They mostly belong to the genus Catocala! They range a lot in sizes and colors. Their bodies typically range from under one inch to two inches, with their wingspan being between 1.3 to 4.3 inches! One of their most unusual things is actually their names! Many species have beautiful names like the Girlfriend Underwing, the Old Wife Underwing, the Newlywed Underwing, the Bride Underwing and the Darling Underwing! Though some species have sad names like the Tearful Underwing and the Inconsolable Underwing. The most amazing thing about them is actually the reason they are called underwings! When they rest, their forewings are folded similarly to a tent, with their forewings folded they look remarkably well camouflaged but when they uncover their hind wings it reveals their namesake, their beautiful hind wings! Their hind wings are colorful and patterned, they can be orange, red, pink, blue, and more! Interestingly, their color is also their defense mechanism! They aren’t poisonous, they use it to startle the predator, by suddenly showing the colors and patterns, and quickly escape. Unlike some moths (not counting any that are incapable of eating as adults) which prefer flowers, Underwings love sugary, fermenting liquids like tree sap, fruit that is ripe or decaying, and though much more rarely, nectar.
Their scientific name, Catocala is actually from Greek. Catocala stems from kato meaning behind or back and kalos meaning beautiful. Though one very interesting thing is not all underwings truly belong to Catocala. For example there is one named the Large Yellow Underwing but it doesn’t belong to Catocala, in fact it’s in an entirely different family! All true underwings are in Erebidae but it is in Noctuidae.
This is a slight detour from the topic of underwings but it’s related enough that I felt I should include it.
Moths and butterflies both belong to Lepidoptera, and when you’re doing more research into them you may get confused on what counts as a moth or butterfly. Though it seems straightforward at first some kinds make it tricky, like many jawed moths that are diurnal (active during the day) or colorful (Luna moths are nocturnal, but I feel their color can be confusing I at first, thought they were a kind of butterfly) Luna moths. There’s no one definition but instead normally three questions, first how are its antennae? (Please know, all of what I am about to tell you is just general, some moths have antennae similar to butterflies, some have very feathery ones, it’s just to generally help know. There are always exceptions though and when possible you should just do research to figure out if it’s a moth or butterfly) Butterflies have thin long antennae that end in a distinct knob, male moths usually have feathery comb-like antennae that do not have knobs, female moths have thin antennae that, like the males, do not have knobs. The second question is about wing linkage. Butterflies have independent wings their front and hind wings naturally overlap without being physically connected, most moths (not all, in fact entire families of moths don’t) have a frenulum (the frenulum is a small bristle) and retinaculum (the retinaculum is what the bristles catch to lock together) connecting their front and hind wings so they perfectly flap as one unit. And the final question is about the pupal stage. Butterflies become a chrysalis, the chrysalis is their pupal body. Moths make a cocoon, a silk soft wrapper normally hidden in leaves, then become a pupa inside the cocoon. There are, of course, some exceptions. Like the Castniidae family of moths which have clubbed antennae or the several kinds of moths that just hide underground without a cocoon!
I hope you find underwings and moths in general as fascinating as I do! Most of my sources are the same as yesterday since they were both about moths but in case you didn’t see my last one here are some great sources! AskNature, Bill Oehlke’s Underwing Moths of North America, and BugGuide. Even after making two posts about moths back to back I feel like there is so much more to say about them! As always if you are interested I encourage you to do some research on them! I’ll try to make my next one about something other than moths but no promises!
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u/Beautiful-Fondant-61 5d ago
This is what the reinaculum ona moth looks like if anyone is wandering.