Bug FAQPale Western Cutworm Moth
Agrotis orthogonia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: pale western cutworm
The pale western cutworm moth has a wingspan of about 34 mm. It lives in dry, semi-desert regions of western North America, from southern Canada down to California and east toward the Great Plains. Its range is native to North America, especially the western semi-desert areas described.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in dry, semi-desert habitats of western North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to North America, especially western semi-desert zones.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Kansas, California, Idaho.
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
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_orthogonia
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.