Bug FAQVerrill's Underwing
Catocala verrilliana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Verrill's underwing is a moth in the family Erebidae with a wingspan of 45 to 60 mm. It lives in the western United States, from Washington and Oregon east to Colorado and south through California, Arizona, Texas and a corner of Oklahoma, and adults are on the wing from May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Verrill's underwing belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 45 to 60 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found across the western United States, from Washington and Oregon eastward to Colorado and southward to California, Arizona, Texas and western Oklahoma.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the leaves of oak species such as bur oak, white oak and Oregon white oak.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is probably one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from May through September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the same western U.S. states listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma.
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
When are adult Verrill's underwings active?
Adults fly from May to September, varying with the region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars of Verrill's underwing eat?
The larvae feed on several oak species, including Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus alba and Quercus garryana.
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_verrilliana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.