Bug FAQWidow Underwing
Catocala vidua · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: The Widow
The widow underwing moth has a wingspan of about 70 to 80 mm. Adults are seen flying from late summer into autumn, typically August through October. It produces one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala vidua, called the widow underwing, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 70 to 80 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across North America, from southern Ontario and New England down to the Gulf states, and west to Texas, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on hickory (Carya species), walnut (Juglans), oak (Quercus), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and willow (Salix).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from August through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, covering parts of Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 34 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Virginia, Connecticut, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see adult widow underwing moths?
Adults are active from August to October.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on hickory, walnut, oak, black locust, and willow trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does this moth have each year?
It produces one generation per year.
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_vidua
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.