Bug FAQDusky Groundling
Condica vecors · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Dusky Groundling Moth
The dusky groundling is a moth in the Noctuidae family with a wingspan of about 29 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Condica vecors, known as the dusky groundling, belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 29 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat Eupatorium and lettuce plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are two generations of this moth each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to August in northern areas and from April to October in southern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, covering eastern Canada and the United States from the Atlantic coast to the Southwest.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Alabama, Mississippi, Illinois, Tennessee, New York, North Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars of the dusky groundling eat?
The larvae feed on Eupatorium and lettuce.
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/Condica_vecors
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.