Bug FAQFeralia februalis
Feralia februalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 34 mm. Adults fly from late winter into early spring, and the caterpillars eat oak leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is about 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from late winter to early spring. The caterpillars (larvae) feed on oak leaves before pupating.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from late winter through early spring.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Feralia februalis moths active?
Adults fly from late winter into early spring.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on the leaves of broad-leaved trees, especially oak (Quercus) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feralia_februalis
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.