Bug FAQDejected Underwing
Catocala dejecta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The dejected underwing is a moth in the family Erebidae (Catocala dejecta). Its wingspan ranges from about 56 to 73 mm. Adults fly from June through October, depending on where they live.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala dejecta, called the dejected underwing, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan measures between 56 and 73 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory, and various oak species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from June to October, varying with location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans the summer months into early fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the eastern United States and parts of southern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New York, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
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_dejecta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.