Bug FAQDesdemona Underwing
Catocala desdemona · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The Desdemona underwing is a moth in the family Erebidae. Its wingspan measures about 60 to 65 mm and adults fly from May to June. Caterpillars eat oak species (Quercus gambeli, Q. macrocarpus) and willow.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala desdemona, called the Desdemona underwing, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 60 to 65 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in Utah and Arizona and extends south through New Mexico, Texas, Mexico, and into Honduras.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the oak trees Quercus gambeli and Quercus macrocarpus, as well as on willow.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is probably one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to June, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In the United States it is native to Utah and Arizona, with its range continuing southward into Mexico and Central America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It was once treated as a subspecies of Catocala delilah.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 6 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado.
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 can I see adult Desdemona underwings?
Adults are active from May through June, varying with the region.
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_desdemona
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.