Bug FAQPink Underwing
Catocala concumbens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Pink Underwing Moth
The pink underwing is a moth with a wingspan of about 6 to 7.5 cm. Adults appear in August and there is typically one generation each year. Its caterpillars feed on poplar and willow trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala concumbens, called the pink or sleepy underwing, belongs to the Erebidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 60 to 75 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across eastern North America and extends westward through the southern Prairie Provinces to eastern Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on species of poplar (Populus) and willow (Salix).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing in August, producing one generation per year depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active as an adult in August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes eastern North America and the southern part of the Canadian Prairies to eastern Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Wisconsin, Vermont, New York.
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 are pink underwing moths active?
Adults fly in August, and there is usually just one generation each year.
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_concumbens
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.