Bug FAQSwallow Prominent
Pheosia tremula · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Notodontidae
Source: Wikipedia
The swallow prominent has whitish forewings with a brown-black stripe along the inner edge and a brownish cloud with black streaks. Adults have forewings 22 to 28 mm long and are most abundant from May through August across the Palearctic region up to the Arctic Circle. Caterpillars feed on poplar (especially aspen), willow and birch, which can lead to noticeable leaf damage.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 22 to 28 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives throughout the Palearctic realm, from northern and central Europe to Russia, the Russian Far East, Ussuri, and the Caucasus, and in northern areas it produces only one brood.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on species of poplar, especially aspen, as well as willow and birch.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species overwinters as a dark brown pupa buried underground in a hard silk-lined cell.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are most plentiful in May and again from July to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the Palearctic region up to the Arctic Circle, including northern and central Europe, Russia and adjacent areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The adult can be easily confused with the similar-looking Pheosia gnoma.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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Questions people ask
What trees does the swallow prominent eat?
Its larvae feed on poplar (especially aspen), willow and birch.
Source: Wikipedia
When are swallow prominent moths most common?
They are most abundant in May and again from July through August.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a swallow prominent apart from similar moths?
Look for the whitish forewings with a brown-black inner-margin stripe and a brownish cloud with black streaks; it is often mistaken for Pheosia gnoma.
Source: Wikipedia
How large is a swallow prominent moth?
The forewings measure between 22 and 28 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Notodontidae)
White-dotted ProminentNadata gibbosaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Buff-tipPhalera bucephalaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Gluphisia MothGluphisia septentrionis
Pine Processionary-mothThaumetopoea pityocampaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Walnut Caterpillar MothDatana integerrimaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Unicorn ProminentCoelodasys unicornisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheosia_tremula
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.