Bug FAQUnicorn Prominent
Coelodasys unicornis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Notodontidae
Also called: Unicorn Caterpillar, Unicorn Caterpillar Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Coelodasys unicornis, known as the unicorn prominent moth, belongs to the Notodontidae family. Its wingspan ranges from about 24 to 35 mm. Caterpillars feed on leaves of alders, apples, poplars, birches, elms, hawthorns, hickories and willows, which can harm those plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Coelodasys unicornis, the unicorn prominent moth, is a member of the Notodontidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures between 24 and 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs across North America south of the Arctic.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, found south of the Arctic region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Connecticut, Ohio, Kansas, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Carolina, Florida.
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
What trees do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on alders, apples, poplars, birches, elms, hawthorns, hickories and willows.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations are produced each year?
The species has one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
What family does the unicorn prominent belong to?
It is a moth in the Notodontidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Has the species always been called Coelodasys unicornis?
It was formerly placed in the genus Schizura before being reclassified to Coelodasys in 2021.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Notodontidae)
White-dotted ProminentNadata gibbosaDamages trees, gardens or crops
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
Angulose ProminentPeridea angulosaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelodasys_unicornis
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 2026-10-23.