Bug FAQCatocala faustina
Catocala faustina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 58 mm. It lives from Colorado west to California and north into British Columbia, Canada. Its caterpillars eat willow (Salix) leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala faustina belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 58 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on species of willow (Salix).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is probably one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from September to October, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the western United States and extends into British Columbia, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Catocala faustina moths active?
Adults fly in September and October, though the exact timing varies by location.
Source: Wikipedia
What do Catocala faustina caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars feed on willow species (Salix).
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_faustina
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.