Bug FAQEcho Moth
Seirarctia echo · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The echo moth has a wingspan of about 45 mm. It lives in thickets, scrubwoods and open areas across parts of the southeastern United States, including Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Its caterpillars, called “hatterpillars,” are seen in summer, fall and late spring, especially around Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Seirarctia is a genus with a single species, Seirarctia echo, described in 1797.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan of roughly 45 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They inhabit thickets, scrubwoods and open areas.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Caterpillars are commonly seen in summer, fall and late spring, especially around Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found in North America, recorded from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
There are no specific look-alike species mentioned in the source.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: endemic in North America; endemic in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
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/Seirarctia
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.