Bug FAQFalse Underwing
Allotria elonympha · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: False Underwing Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The false underwing moth has a wingspan of about 33 to 44 mm. Adults are active from March through September. Its caterpillars eat leaves of black gum, hickory and walnut trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Allotria elonympha is the only species in the genus Allotria and belongs to the family Erebidae. It is found in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 33 to 44 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on various deciduous trees, including black gum, hickory and walnut.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from March to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen from early spring through late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, Maryland, Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio.
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
When are false underwing moths active?
Adults are on the wing from March through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on leaves of black gum, hickory and walnut trees.
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 acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotria
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.