Bug FAQWalnut Caterpillar Moth
Datana integerrima · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Notodontidae
Also called: Walnut Caterpillar
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 35 to 50 mm. Adults are flying from May through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 35 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on hickory, walnut, willow, oak, honey locust, and some shrubs.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern North America, covering Ontario, the eastern US, Minnesota, and northern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Alabama, New York, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How large is the walnut caterpillar moth?
The adult’s wingspan is between 35 and 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on species of hickory, walnut, willow, oak, honey locust, and some shrubs.
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
Unicorn ProminentCoelodasys unicornisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Angulose ProminentPeridea angulosaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datana_integerrima
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.