Catocala johnsoniana Brower, 1976

Hawks, David, 2010, Review of the Catocala delilah species complex (Lepidoptera, Erebidae), ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 13-35 : 28

Catocala johnsoniana Brower

Fig. 18

Catocala johnsoniana Brower, 1976: 30

Type material. Catocala johnsoniana : holotype ♁ [ USNM, examined]. Type locality: Kernville, Kern Co[unty], Calif[ornia, USA].

Diagnosis. Catocala johnsoniana is most similar to C. californiensis but the forewing has a distinct basal dash, the subreniform is always widely open, and the teeth of the postmedial line are longer. Also, the hindwing black inner band is relatively short and thick, while the postmedial yellow band is proportionately wider than in most specimens of all other species in the C. delilah complex.

Distribution and biology. Catocala johnsoniana occurs mostly in the northern, eastern and southern foothills edging the Central Valley of California, mostly at slightly lower elevations than the other five species found in California. County records for USA are as follows. CALIFORNIA: Butte, Colusa, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Solano, Tuolumne, Yolo. Th e immature stages of C. johnsoniana have been described and the larva figured by Johnson (1985). Moths are always collected in areas dominated by Quercus douglasii Hook. & Arn. , and this is probably the primary or only host plant. Adults have been collected from late May to early July.