Epione underwing Underwing moths, which belong to the genus Catocala, are easy-to-overlook night fliers whose front wings usually blend in with whatever foliage, bark, or boulders they land on. However, when they're disturbed, many species reveal hind wings that often feature wild colors which, like butterfly eye spots, may be designed to startle potential predators momentarily and enable the underwing to escape. Other Catocala species take the opposite tack and have dark, almost black, hind wings. Maybe these enhance the insect's camouflage, or maybe, in the case of this Epione underwing—Epione was the Greek goddess adept at soothing pain—they put the predator in a restful state. C. epione has that soothing effect on me, but I'm never too relaxed to avoid getting a picture of one of these beautiful moths when they stop by the back-porch lights for a night-time visit.