DISTRIBUTION: Catocala ilia zoe
(wingspan: approximately 65mm) flies in California and east at least
to Arizona. there are a few records for southern Oregon.
I have also seen an image from Umatilla, northeastern Oregon, that I
am pretty sure is ilia zoe.
C. ilia zoe, June 4, 2003, Pinnacles National Monument,
San Benito, California, courtesy of Paul Johnson.
FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:
Catocala ilia zoe are usually on the wing from June to
September, but Dave Wikle took the one depicted below at a
MV light on May 29, 2004, Alameda County, elev 2380' streamside
among oaks, pines, chaparral, N37 29.527 W121 32.059, three miles
west of the convergence of Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and
San Joaquin Counties on Mines Road.
The peak of the single flight is probably in June.
The Catocala ilia zoe caterpillar probably feeds on black,
burr, red and white oaks.
ECLOSION:Adults eclose from pupae at soil surface.
SCENTING AND MATING:Catocala ilia zoe females
emit an airbourne pheromone and males use their antennae to track the
scent plume.
 Catocala ilia zoe
female, Old Kern Cyn Rd, 2320', Kern Co CA,
June 21, 1990,
Kelly Richers, collector, at u.v. light
EGGS, CATERPILLARS, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:Eggs are deposited on
tree bark in the late spring and summer and hatch the following spring.
Larval Food Plants
Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants.
It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common
name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive,
although some species seem very host specific.
Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.
Quercus alba
Quercus macrocarpa.......
Quercus rubra
Quercus velutina
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White oak
Burr oak
Northern red oak
Black oak
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