Bug FAQJair Underwing
Catocala jair · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The Jair underwing (Catocala jair) is a moth in the family Erebidae with a wingspan of 35 to 40 mm. It lives in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, the coastal plain of Bladen County, North Carolina, and the northern half of Florida, where its larvae feed on oak (Quercus). Adults fly in May and June and there is probably one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The Jair underwing, also called the Barrens underwing, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 35 to 40 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, the coastal plain of Bladen County, North Carolina, and the northern half of Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on oak trees (genus Quercus).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is probably one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes New Jersey, North Carolina and northern Florida in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, New Jersey, Texas, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia, Louisiana.
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
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_jair
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.