Bug FAQCatocala chelidonia
Catocala chelidonia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Catocala chelidonia is a moth in the family Erebidae with a wingspan of about 45 to 50 mm. It lives in the western United States, from Arizona and Utah to California, and its caterpillars eat oak (Quercus) leaves. Adults fly from June through September and there is likely one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala chelidonia belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 45 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in Arizona, Utah, and California.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on oak trees (Quercus species).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is probably one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from June to September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes parts of the western United States such as Arizona, Utah, and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Florida, Oregon.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Catocala chelidonia moths active?
Adults fly from June through September, varying with location.
Source: Wikipedia
What do Catocala chelidonia caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars feed on oak (Quercus) species.
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_chelidonia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.