Bug FAQPale-edged Dart
Abagrotis vittifrons · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Pale-edged Dart Moth
The pale-edged dart has a wingspan of about 34 to 35 mm. Adults fly in August and September, producing one generation each year. It lives across North America from the northern plains to the western interior and down to the southwestern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Abagrotis vittifrons is a moth in the Noctuidae family, first described by Grote in 1864.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 34 to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found from eastern North Dakota and southwestern Saskatchewan west to interior British Columbia, and south to California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from August to September, producing one generation depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period occurs in late summer, specifically August and September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, spanning the northern plains to the western interior and the southwestern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Wyoming, Montana, Oregon, Colorado, California, Washington, Idaho, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
When are pale-edged darts active?
Adults fly in August and September, with one generation per year.
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/Abagrotis_vittifrons
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.