Bug FAQHypercompe caudata
Hypercompe caudata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Male Hypercompe caudata moths have a wingspan of about 56 mm, while females are larger at roughly 86 mm. Adults are active in January, April, October and November.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Hypercompe caudata belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have a wingspan of about 56 mm. Females have a wingspan of about 86 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing in January, April, October and November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes Texas and southern Arizona in the United States, as well as Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas.
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 Hypercompe caudata moths active?
Adults can be seen flying in January, April, October and November.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are these moths?
Males measure about 56 mm across the wings, while females are about 86 mm.
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/Hypercompe_caudata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.