Bug FAQBay Underwing
Catocala badia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The bay underwing moth has a wingspan of about 5 to 6 centimeters. It lives in the northeastern United States, from southern Maine and New Hampshire down to New York and Connecticut. Its caterpillars feed on plants such as bayberry and sweet fern.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala badia is the scientific name for the bay underwing moth, which belongs to the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from 50 to 60 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is probably one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the same states in the northeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Wisconsin.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How many generations does the bay underwing have per year?
It likely produces one generation annually.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catocala_badia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.