Bug FAQGreater Red Dart
Abagrotis alternata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Greater Red Dart Moth, Mottled Gray Cutworm
The greater red dart moth has a wingspan of about 38 to 43 mm. Adults are on the wing in August in Alberta and there is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 38 to 43 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly in August in Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to eastern North America, spanning eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, South Carolina, Connecticut, Ohio.
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
When are greater red dart moths active?
Adults are on the wing in August in Alberta.
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/Abagrotis_alternata
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.