Bug FAQBoston and Median-banded Darts and Allies
Euxoa bostoniensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Boston Dart, Boston Dart Moth
The Boston dart moth has a wingspan of about 40 to 45 mm. It is found across eastern Canada and the United States, from Ontario and Maine down to North Carolina, west to Missouri, and also in Florida, California and South Dakota, where its larvae feed on tobacco plants and other vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 40 to 45 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs from Ontario and Maine south to North Carolina, west to Missouri and north to Michigan, and has also been recorded in Florida, California and South Dakota.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on plants of the Nicotiana genus, but they also occur in areas where tobacco does not grow.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active in May and again from September through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to eastern Canada and the United States, extending from Ontario and Maine down to North Carolina and west to Missouri, with additional records in Florida, California and South Dakota.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maine, Arizona, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are Boston dart moths active?
Adults fly in May and then again from September to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euxoa_bostoniensis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.