The most often encountered of the five Nearctic Ericaceae-feeding Catocala as a larva. Body pinkish to gray, with striping and stippling laterally and dorsally, with moderate brownish A5 dorsal hump; head capsule with fine reddish stripes, sometimes darker along lateral margin; moderately long lateral filaments; reddish purple ventral spots on A3/A4, smaller on A1/A2. Similar to louiseae and unknown if these two are separable, more larval rearings with adults desirable. Wild larvae of andromedae on a variety of Vaccinium as well as occasionally Pinxster (Rhododendron periclymenoides). Its close relatives gracilis and sordida with more brownish body coloration, frequently with darker and prominent brown dorsolateral stripes; gracilis with moderately long lateral filaments but those in sordida usually significantly reduced in length. Larva of bastropi unknown.