Bug FAQFlat Dart
Euxoa campestris · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: silly dart, Flat Dart Moth
The flat dart is a moth in the Noctuidae family. Its wingspan is roughly 30 to 34 mm. It occurs across North America from Newfoundland to Alaska and south to New England, adults are on the wing from July to September, and there is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Euxoa campestris, called the flat dart, belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The flat dart’s wingspan ranges from 30 to 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species produces one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult flat darts are active from July through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same North American region, from Newfoundland to Alaska and down to New England.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Montana, Minnesota, Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How many generations do flat darts have each year?
There is one generation per year.
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_campestris
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.