Rare British Catocala Aberration.

[nomad]

There is a very rare aberration of Catocala nupta where the red underwings are replaced by chocolate brown = aberration brunnescens Warren 1914. Here is a very fine example that was collected by R.J. Champion at Guildford in Surrey, England on September 2nd 1907.


Catocala nupta aberration brunnescens



A drawer of typical British Catocala nupta with the rare ab brunnescens. OUMNH collections.

[johnnyboy]

That's a great specimen of a very rare aberration. I have a chocolate winged garden tiger moth, caught in Hampshire 1955. I think you posted a number of photos the same type of aberration some time ago, I imagine the chocolate red underwing is much rarer. There were a number of red underwing moths last September. I caught one at Petts Wood railway station, resting on the wall of the ticket office.

Johnny

[leptraps]

If I remember correctly, the are just a few species of Catocala in "The Islands" and most of Europe. Then you get to read about the trials and tribulations of us American's as we attempt to catch those beautiful "Cat's" it traps, at bait and knocking about it the woods.

How many species are there on the other side of the pond? And, how do you collect them? You certainly get an ear full from us yanks.

[nomad]

In Britain we only three resident species, C. nupta, C. promissa and C. sponsa. C. fraxini is rare immigrant that used to be a transitory resident. C. electa and C. nymphagoga are very vagrants from the continent that has been captured here a few times. Our most frequent species is Catocala nupta (Linnaeus, 1767) which is found in late summer, at rest during the daytime, at sugar and at light. Sugar was the usual bait used by British collectors for Catocala.
How many species do you have across the pond.
Here is a drawer of British fraxini from the Oxford University collections. The right hand bottom specimen is a continental specimen of C. electa. This has replaced a British caught specimen that is now kept in their reference collection.

[leptraps]

A question of curiosity. What are the measurement/size of the entomology drawers used for the Catocala moths in your photographs?

I make entomology drawers and I make a 17" X 25" drawer for a Brit in Florida. He is a Coleopterist (I think). He claims that is the BMNH Drawer size.

[nomad]

In the BMNH all the old cabinets were sold and they are now metal and I do not know their drawer size. The drawers with the Catocala are from old Hills units which if you could get hold of, would set you back with ten drawers in the region of 900-1000 pounds.The Hills cabinets shown below were made especially for the museum and are of a superior make to the standard Hill units thus would be even more valuable. Hill units were made of solid oak or mahogany and had a solid door with lock and key. The drawer size was I believe in cms, 46w x 40d x 6h.

Here you can see them in the British Room at Oxford.




You forgot to add how many Catocala species are found in the states.

[rayrard]

I think there are over 100 species in the U.S. I have collected over 40 species between SC and CT/Mass.

I don't think I have any true aberrations, but I have a few "forms" that are well described and are not one-off random freak specimens like that one you posted.

[beetlehorn]

That is correct. A collector can have a great time trying to find the different forms in a given area. At last count I think there are 106 in the US. In my home state of Tennessee, I have collected some 49 species to date,(I should make a list and photo record on this site). Some can be common, some rather rare. Here is a link to the Catocalas of the major world regions.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catocala

[nomad]

Thank for the information on Catocala in the States. Over a hundred species that quite a few Cats That is very good going Beetlehorn collecting almost half of them. Do you guys across the pond still use the old sugaring method of boiled Brown sugar, treacle and Beer for Catocala. I except some now use wine ropes and I guess today they are mostly taken at light.

[leptraps]

Bait Traps, painting trees with bait (bait trail), tree tapping, Light Traps and MV/UV Lighting. And just about in that order, or, any combination of two or more in use at the same time. With the exception of tree tapping.

[Deleted]

Here lately I take mine one at a time with a jar off a rabbit cage but I'm not complaining

[beetlehorn]

Those are some very fine looking cabinets Nomad. Solid wood, attention to detail, and a touch of elegance. That kind of craftsmanship is hard to find these days.