Ilia Underwing - Catocala ilia
This moth has a sad story. I found it at a bird blind in a mixed forest. It was alive when I took this picture, but unable to fly and appeared to be dying. I tried getting it to grasp the side of the bird blind to get it up off the ground, but it wasn't able to hold on. So, I found a quiet, secluded spot to leave it safely. I wandered off for a minute to snap a picture of a mushroom, and when I came back to check on this moth, it was totally squished and very dead! One of my kids happened to accidentally step on the moth. What are the odds? I left it in such a safe spot! But, I guess nothing is safe when it comes to rambunctious boys.
"Catocala ilia", the Ilia underwing, beloved underwing or wife underwing, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1776. It can be found in the eastern part of the United States as well as southern Canada. Subspecies "Catocala ilia zoe" can be found in California and Arizona.
