Bug FAQCutworm
Athetis thoracica · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The moth is 13 to 15 mm long and uniformly medium brown. It lives throughout the Indo-Australian and Pacific tropics and has been introduced to several Hawaiian islands. Its larvae feed on a variety of plants including Commelina, Ipomoea, Syzygium, Portulaca, Nicotiana, Camellia and some grasses and legumes.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Pupae are created in the soil just under the surface.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure 13 to 15 mm in length and are uniformly medium brown.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found across the Indo-Australian and Pacific tropical regions. In the United States it now occurs on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The pupa forms just below the soil surface. The pupal stage lasts about 12 to 14 days.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the Indo-Australian and Pacific tropics. It is thought to have been accidentally introduced from Fiji.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Hawaii.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on a range of plants such as Commelina, Ipomoea, Syzygium, Portulaca, Nicotiana, Camellia and some grasses and legumes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It occurs throughout the Indo-Australian and Pacific tropics and has been introduced to the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii.
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/Athetis_thoracica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.