Bug FAQGreen Cutworm Moth
Anicla infecta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Green Cutworm
Source: Wikipedia
The green cutworm moth (Anicla infecta) has a wingspan of about 30 to 35 mm and is found from southeastern Canada through the eastern United States down to Uruguay. Adults fly from June to September, while the caterpillars feed on beets, grasses and tobacco, making the species a crop pest.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
When it is a caterpillar it is called the green cutworm; the adult moth is called the green cutworm moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 30 to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat beets, grasses and tobacco. Adult moths visit fetterbush lyonia flowers and act as pollinators.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from June through September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults runs from June to September, varying with region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range spans the same area: southeastern Canada down through the eastern U.S. to Uruguay.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Anicla infecta belongs to the Noctuidae family and was first described by Ochsenheimer in 1816.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, California.
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
Are they a problem for gardens or farms?
Yes, the caterpillars feed on beets, grasses and tobacco, so they can damage those crops.
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/Anicla_infecta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.