Bug FAQWestern Furcula Moth
Furcula occidentalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Notodontidae
Also called: Western Furcula, Willow Kitten
The western furcula moth has a wingspan of about 32 to 45 mm. It lives across much of Canada and the northern United States, from southern Yukon and British Columbia east to Nova Scotia and south to Maryland, Utah and Oregon. Adults fly from April through August, producing one or two generations each year, and the species overwinters as a pupa.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 32 mm to 45 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found from southern Yukon and British Columbia east to Nova Scotia, and south to Maryland, Utah and Oregon.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on willow (Salix) and sometimes poplar (Populus) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species spends the winter in the pupal stage. Adults are on the wing from April to August, producing one to two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from April through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes southern Yukon, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Maryland, Utah and Oregon.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 26 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Wyoming, Colorado, New York, Vermont, Alaska, Montana, Washington.
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 western furcula moths active?
Adults fly from April to August, with one or two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on willow (Salix) and sometimes poplar (Populus) trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this moth?
It occurs from southern Yukon and British Columbia across to Nova Scotia, and south to Maryland, Utah and Oregon.
Source: Wikipedia
What other names does this moth have?
It is also known as the double-lined furcula or willow kitten.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Notodontidae)
White-dotted ProminentNadata gibbosa
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/Furcula_occidentalis
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.