Bug FAQPrecious Underwing
Catocala pretiosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The precious underwing is a moth in the family Erebidae. Its wingspan measures about 40 to 50 mm. Adults fly in May and June, likely producing one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala pretiosa, called the precious underwing, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The species has a wingspan of roughly 40 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on serviceberry (Amelanchier), apple (Malus), and related shrubs such as Aronia and Photinia, as well as beach plum (Prunus maritima).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May through June and probably have one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active during the late spring months of May and June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers much of the eastern and central United States, including the states listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It was once grouped with Catocala crataegi but has recently been recognized as a separate species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Louisiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on Amelanchier, Malus, Photinia arbutifolia, Prunus maritima, and Aronia arbutifolia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the precious underwing found?
It lives in many eastern and central US states from Massachusetts to Oklahoma, with a subspecies from Florida to Texas.
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/Catocala_pretiosa
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.