Bug FAQTearful Underwing
Catocala lacrymosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The tearful underwing is a moth in the family Erebidae with a wingspan of 60 to 82 mm. It occurs across the eastern United States and into southern Ontario, and its caterpillars feed on hickory (Carya) leaves. Adults are on the wing from July to September and there is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Catocala lacrymosa, known as the tearful underwing, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures between about 60 and 82 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on species of hickory (Carya).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is 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 range includes the eastern United States and parts of southern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia.
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 are tearful underwing moths active?
Adults fly from July to September, with exact timing varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on leaves of hickory trees (Carya species).
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find tearful underwing moths?
They occur from New England down to Florida, west to Texas and Oklahoma, and north into the Great Lakes region and southern Ontario.
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_lacrymosa
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.