Bug FAQMaster's Dart
Feltia herilis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Master's Dart Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Master's dart moth has a wingspan of about 34 to 44 mm. It lives across North America from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, up to the Northwest Territories border and down to the Gulf Coast. Adults fly from July through October and the species produces one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Feltia herilis, called the herald dart or Master's dart, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 34 to 44 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult moths have been seen sipping nectar, for example from Liatris flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation of Master's dart each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, spanning from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and down to the Gulf Coast.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a member of the Noctuidae family, like many other dart moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 45 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Minnesota.
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
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on a wide range of plants, including crops, vegetables, forages, herbs and other garden plants.
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/Feltia_herilis
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 2026-10-22.