Sweetheart Underwing vs Arctic Woolly Bear Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sweetheart Underwing Arctic Woolly Bear Moth
Scientific Name Catocala amatrix Gynaephora groenlandica
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Erebidae Erebidae
Size 75-95 mm wingspan 30-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Sap Feeders Omnivores
Regions Eastern North America from southern Canada to the southern United States Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland, Ellesmere Island
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Sweetheart Underwing

A large underwing moth with mottled gray-brown forewings and rosy-pink hindwings crossed by black bands. It is one of the most attractive members of the underwing genus.

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Did You Know?

Its scientific name amatrix means 'sweetheart' in Latin, referring to the rosy-pink color of its hidden hindwings.

Arctic Woolly Bear Moth

A medium-sized moth whose caterpillar is famous for its extremely long development. Adults are gray-brown with hairy bodies. The densely hairy caterpillar is dark brown to black and curls into a tight ball when disturbed.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillar can take up to 14 years to complete development, spending most of each year frozen solid and thawing for only a few weeks of feeding each summer.