Bug FAQOld Man Dart
Agrotis vetusta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Old Man Dart Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Old Man Dart is a North-American moth with a wingspan of about 35 to 42 mm. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of forbs, vegetables and row crops, making it a garden pest. Adults fly in late summer, typically from August through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Agrotis vetusta, called the old man dart, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges between 35 and 42 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across North America, from southern Alaska and Nova Scotia down into Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat many different wild plants, garden vegetables and cultivated row crops.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult moths are on the wing from August to September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers much of North America, from Alaska and eastern Canada to Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Massachusetts, Kansas.
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 plants do the larvae feed on?
The caterpillars eat a wide range of wild plants, garden vegetables and row crops.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult Old Man Darts active?
Adults are typically flying from August through September, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Old Man Dart found?
It occurs throughout North America, from southern Alaska and Nova Scotia down into Mexico.
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/Agrotis_vetusta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.