False Underwing

False Underwing

Allotria elonympha

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Washington

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

34 Verified sightings at Washington
81 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the False Underwing

Allotria is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae. It is monotypic, with only a single species, Allotria elonympha, the false underwing moth, which is found in eastern North America. Both the genus and the species were first described by Jacob Hübner, the genus in 1823 and the species in 1818.

The wingspan is 33–44 mm. Adults are on wing from March to September. The larvae feed on various deciduous trees, such as black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), hickory and walnut. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a False Underwing in Washington?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a False Underwing sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 597th most-seen of the 1807 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.

When is the best time to see a False Underwing in Washington?

August

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a False Underwing in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a False Underwing?

Between 10 pm and 1 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most False Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Washington the best place to see a False Underwing?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate False Underwing sightings, Washington ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Baltimore (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the False Underwing live in Washington?

Same family: Erebidae

The closest relatives of the False Underwing that you can see in Washington (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Isabella Tiger Moth (about 10%), Green Cloverworm Moth (about 10%) and Giant Leopard Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the False Underwing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the False Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (34 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.

← Back to Washington