Wing span:
Flight time: July - August
Description. Very similar to unijuga. FW gray, with whitish and blackish dusting, giving a more uniform appearance than unijuga. HW orange-red with black bands; white apex often with orange dots (unlike unijuga). Underside HW with discal lunule faint or absent. The melanic form, with uniformly blackish FW, is "krombeini" Franclemont. 65-75 min. H 33:6 (atypically pale; possibly faded). B & Mc 4: 8.
Similar species. Unless as distinctive as the specimen on plate 5, meskei is one of the most difficult of the eastern Catocala to identify. Positive identification is probably best left to experts, but see unijuga for aids to tentative identification.
Range. Southern Canada (Quebec, Ontario) to Pennsylvania and west throughout area. Apparently very sporadic in occurrence within this range.
Status. Uncommon to rare. Appears to be more common at present in the western portions of its range.
Larval foodplants. Poplars (Populus), particularly Cottonwood (P. deltoides), and willows (Salix). Reared on Large-tooth Aspen (P. grandidentata) (SAH).
Notes. Moth rests head-up on tree trunks (WAM).
Data from Legion of Night by Theodore Sargent.
Record # | Date | Locale | State | Lat/Lon | Collected By | Count |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
298358 | 2021-07-04 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
272636 | 2020-08-06 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.016779 -93.616948 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
272637 | 2020-07-17 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.016779 -93.616948 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
241473 | 2019-10-02 | MacBride Nature Recreation Area | Iowa | 41.786729 -91.568057 | Mark Brown | 1 |
238934 | 2019-08-23 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
238930 | 2019-07-26 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
239180 | 2019-07-18 | Inis Grove Park, Ames | Iowa | 42.046946 -93.612282 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
222374 | 2018-08-07 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
199144 | 2017-09-20 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
199145 | 2017-09-20 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
179178 | 2016-07-06 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
129757 | 2013-08-29 | Algona | Iowa | 43.06998 -94.23295 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
19294 | 2013-07-30 | Ambrose A. Call State Park | Iowa | 43.0517 -94.2498 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
129756 | 2013-07-30 | Algona | Iowa | 43.06998 -94.23295 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
19293 | 2013-07-29 | Ambrose A. Call State Park | Iowa | 43.0517 -94.2498 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
66430 | 2013-07-29 | Kossuth County | Iowa | 43.251339 -94.233337 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
66431 | 2013-07-29 | Kossuth County | Iowa | 43.251339 -94.233337 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
129755 | 2013-07-29 | Algona | Iowa | 43.06998 -94.23295 | Matt Kenne | 1 |
19728 | 2011-10-09 | Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Area | Iowa | 42.08398 -91.7651 | Frank Olsen | 1 |
125606 | 2010-07-29 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
136509 | 2010-06-29 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
125605 | 2006-08-23 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
136508 | 2006-08-23 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
19732 | 2006-07-14 | Yellow River State Forest | Iowa | 43.1676 -91.254 | Ed Freese | 1 |
125601 | 2004-07-16 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
136507 | 2004-07-16 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
125602 | 2003-09-04 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
136506 | 2003-09-04 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
125603 | 2001-07-10 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
136505 | 2001-07-10 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
125604 | 1998-07-18 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
136504 | 1998-07-18 | Ames, Paul | Iowa | 42.02064 -93.623952 | Paul Martsching | 1 |
19292 | 1987-07-21 | Sioux City-x | Iowa | 42.5018 -96.4036 | Tim Orwig | 1 |
19291 | 1986-08-31 | Sioux City State Prairie Preserve | Iowa | 42.5241 -96.4362 | Tim Orwig | 1 |
354572 | 1970-09-19 | Decorah-x | Iowa | 43.30333 -91.78556 | 1 |