| Three-staff Underwing | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Tribe: | Catocalini |
| Genus: | Catocala |
| Species: | C. amestris |
| Binomial name | |
| Catocala amestris Strecker (1874) [2] |
|
The Three-staff Underwing (Catocala amestris) is a species of Catocalini that occurs in North America. It is considered endangered and is legally protected in the state of Michigan.[3]
Like most underwings, C. amestris has a brightly colored hindwing and brownish-gray forewings, the wingspan is 1.6-1.8in (4-4.5 cm). The forewings have a blotch that strongly resembles a kidney shape, beyond that the wing has mixed wavy lines. The hindwings have two wavy black lines separating a yellow-orange coloration. The caterpillar of this species is bluish white with a yellowish coloring on the dorsum, or top side. It also has an orange band along with 7 thin black lines on its sides.[4]
Between June and August this moth can be seen in dry-mesic prairie lands and oak forest. Due to only having one host plant, Amorpha canescens, the moth is hard to find in even these areas.