Bug FAQJudith's Underwing
Catocala judith · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Judiths's Underwing, Judith's Underwing Moth
Judith's underwing is a moth in the family Erebidae with a wingspan of about 45 to 55 mm. It lives in eastern North America, from southern Quebec and Ontario down to the Gulf Coast and west to the Midwest. Adults fly from July through October, and the caterpillars eat hickory and black walnut leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Judith's underwing (Catocala judith) belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 45 to 55 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory, and black walnut.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July to October, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Wisconsin, Michigan, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Missouri.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see adult Judith's underwing moths?
Adults are active from July through October, with exact timing varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on the leaves of hickory species (Carya) and black walnut (Juglans nigra).
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Judith's underwing found?
It occurs from southern Quebec and Ontario down through the eastern United States to Georgia, and west to Oklahoma, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
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/Catocala_judith
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.