Catocala relicta
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Catocala relicta, the white underwing or relict, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1858. It lives in southern Canada, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, south to Missouri, and Arizona.
The wingspan is 67–75 mm. Adults are on wing from July to September in one generation depending on the location. The larvae feed on Betula papyrifera, Carya ovata, Populus alba, Populus balsamifera, Populus deltoides, Populus nigra, Populus tremuloides, Quercus species, and Salix species (including Salix eriocephala). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a White Underwing sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 112 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a White Underwing in Elk Island National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and October–May, the lowest months. That is one of Elk Island National Park's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain against 20 mm in December.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White Underwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate White Underwing sightings, Elk Island National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Erebidae
The closest relatives of the White Underwing that you can see in Elk Island National Park (family Erebidae, Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths) are Virginia Ctenucha Moth (about 50%), Isabella Tiger Moth (about 40%) and Police Car Moth (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White Underwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Elk Island National Park (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
