Bug FAQLarge-spotted Dart
Aplectoides condita · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Quivering Dart Moth
The large-spotted dart moth has a wingspan of about 33 mm and belongs to the Noctuidae family. It flies from May through July and its caterpillars feed on balsam fir and tamarack, preferring the latter. Its range covers central and southern Canada and extends into the northern United States, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Great Lakes region, the Appalachians, Idaho, Oregon and recently Tennessee.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Aplectoides condita is a moth species in the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 33 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In the western part of its range it is present in Idaho and Oregon. Recent records show it in Tennessee.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars have been reared on balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and tamarack (Larix laricina). They show a preference for tamarack.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to July.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans May through July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to central and southern Canada and the northern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Montana, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Hampshire.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I expect to see adult large-spotted darts?
Adults are active from May through July.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of the large-spotted dart eat?
They feed on balsam fir and tamarack, preferring the latter.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the large-spotted dart found in North America?
It lives across central and southern Canada and in the northern United States, from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific, including states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, North Carolina, Idaho, Oregon and Tennessee.
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/Aplectoides_condita
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.