Bug FAQToothed Somberwing
Euclidia cuspidea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Toothed Somberwing Moth
The toothed somberwing is a small moth with a wingspan of 28 to 36 mm. Its caterpillars feed on clovers and grasses and the adults are on the wing in May-June. It is native to North America, ranging from eastern Canada across to western Alberta and down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The toothed somberwing is a moth in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures about 28 to 36 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across North America, from Quebec west to Alberta and north to the Northwest Territories, reaching south toward the Gulf of Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat various clover species and grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly in May and June, depending on where they are found.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Connecticut.
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 adult toothed somberwings active?
Adults are on the wing from May to June, depending on location.
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/Euclidia_cuspidea
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.