Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet vs White Underwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet White Underwing
Scientific Name Xanthorhoe ferrugata Catocala relicta
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Geometridae Erebidae
Size 22-28 mm wingspan 70-85 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Sap Feeders
Regions Europe Northern United States and southern Canada
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

A common but variable carpet moth found in gardens and hedgerows. Wing pattern ranges from pale to very dark. Larvae feed on bedstraws and other low plants.

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Did You Know?

So variable in appearance that dark and light forms were once described as separate species.

White Underwing

A striking underwing moth with white and black banded forewings that mimics birch bark. Its hindwings are black with broad white bands.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the only underwing moths with white rather than colored hindwings, matching the white bark of its birch tree hosts.