Bug FAQLuteous Dart and Allies
Abagrotis trigona · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Luteous Dart
The luteous dart is a moth belonging to the Noctuidae family. It has a wingspan of about 28 to 30 mm and adults are active in August. It occurs across western South Dakota, southwestern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, Alberta, and reaches the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island, extending south to the Mexican border.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures between 28 and 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing in August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same North American region described for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Montana, Washington, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
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_trigona
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.