Bug FAQSerene Underwing
Catocala serena · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Serene Underwing Moth
The serene underwing is a moth in the family Erebidae with a wingspan of about 55 to 60 mm. It lives in the eastern United States and southern Ontario, ranging from New York and New Jersey down to Tennessee and west to Illinois and eastern Wisconsin. Its caterpillars eat hickory (Carya ovata) and black walnut (Juglans nigra), and adults fly from July to September, usually producing one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala serena, called the serene underwing, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures between 55 and 60 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found from southern Ontario through New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, down to Tennessee, and west to Pennsylvania, Illinois and eastern Wisconsin.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on hickory (Carya ovata) and black walnut (Juglans nigra).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is probably one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July through September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes southern Ontario and many eastern U.S. states such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Illinois and eastern Wisconsin.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 26 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Connecticut, Wisconsin, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey.
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 serene underwing moths active?
Adults fly from July to September, with exact timing varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations do they have each year?
They likely produce 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_serena
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.