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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Erebidae 930859 – 8878   Catocala amica (Hübner, 1818)              Girlfriend Underwing

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Distribution: See Gall & Borth (2025). Larva and Host Plants: See Gall & Borth (2025). -- Host familiy: Fagaceae.  Host genera: Quercus.  Notes: foliage (Wagner 2005).  (Shropshire & Tallamy 2025 [accessed 6xii2025]) Description/ Field Marks: Member of the Catocala amica complex in which species lack a black medial hindwing band; see Gall & Schweitzer (2026) for full description. Caution: In Gall & Schweitzer (2026) figure 2, the specimen labeled A is a lineella and not a pinicola (error in digital assembly of images for the plate; the catalog number and locality data are correct) (L. Gall, pers. comm., 28iv2022). Similar Species: 930860 Catocala lineella 930861 Catocala jair 930861.1n Catocala pinicola Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: amica (Hübner, 1818) (Ephesia) - MONA 1983: 8878 androphila Guenée, 1852 (Catocala) Note: originally proposed as a replacement name for amica, a name thought to be preoccupied. curvifascia Brower, 1936 (Catocala) Note: originally described as a form of amica and treated as such in Gall & Schweitzer (2026). suffusa Beutenmüller, 1903 (Catocala) Note: originally described as a variety of amica and treated as a form in Gall & Schweitzer (2026).

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Gall, L. & R. Borth, 2025. Underwing Moths (Catocala) & Larvae: A companion guide for iNaturalists, Website. [accessed on 7 October 2025] Gall, L.F. & D.F. Schweitzer, 2026. A review of the Catocala amica complex (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), with a neotype designation and description of a new species. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 67(1): 3-21. (abstract and PDF) Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at Bill Oehlke's moth website - Catocala amica Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at iNaturalist Species page at Moths of North Dakota.

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