Catocala vidua
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Catocala vidua, the widow underwing, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. It is found in North America from southern Ontario, into Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut, south at least to Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, west to Texas and Oklahoma, and north to Wisconsin.
The wingspan is 70–80 mm. Adults are on wing from August to October. There is one generation per year. The larvae feed on Carya illinoinensis, Carya ovata, Carya pallida, Juglans cinerea, Juglans nigra, Quercus, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Salix. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Widow Underwing sighting in Baltimore on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 620th most-seen of the 705 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Widow Underwing in Baltimore on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Widow Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Widow Underwing sightings, Baltimore has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Washington (United States, under 5%) and New York City (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Widow Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Baltimore (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
