Penitent underwing
Catocala piatrix
The penitent underwing is a big moth from North America. Its front wings are dark brownish grey, perfect for hiding on bark. But its back wings are bright yellow orange with two black bands, a surprise it flashes when it flies.
Lives in
The eastern United States, and Arizona
Wingspan
7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It cannot bite or sting.
What does it eat?
Its caterpillars eat the leaves of walnut, hickory, pecan, ash and persimmon trees.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🧱wings as wide as 2.5 toy building bricks⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 19 seconds
How big is Penitent underwing compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
Penitent underwing about 20 km/h (12 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
A car driving in town about 50 km/h (31 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
Its legs are covered in little spines.
2
Depending on where it lives, it flies from July to November.
3
Its wings measure about 70 to 80 millimetres from tip to tip.
you asked
Most asked questions about Penitent underwing
?What does the penitent underwing eat?
Its caterpillars eat leaves of walnut, hickory, pecan, ash and persimmon trees.
?How big is the penitent underwing?
Big, with wings about 70 to 80 millimetres across.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Catocala piatrix
- Named by
- Grote, 1864
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Erebidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Erebidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Catocala piatrix (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Hawks DC. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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