Bug FAQInclined Dart
Dichagyris acclivis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The inclined dart moth has a wingspan of about 32 mm. Adults fly in August and September. It is found from southern Ontario and Massachusetts down to Tennessee and North Carolina, and west to Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and east-central Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The inclined dart belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures about 32 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in areas ranging from southern Ontario and Massachusetts down to Tennessee and North Carolina, and west to Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and east-central Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat the seeds of big bluestem grass (Panicum virgatum).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active and on the wing in August and September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight season is late summer, specifically August to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same eastern and central U.S. and southern Canada region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, Michigan, New York, Maryland, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Indiana.
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 adult inclined darts active?
Adults are on the wing in August and September.
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/Dichagyris_acclivis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.