Bug FAQPink-spotted Dart
Pseudohermonassa bicarnea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Pink-spotted Dart Moth
The pink-spotted dart is a moth in the Noctuidae family that lives in eastern North America, extending west to south-central Saskatchewan and central North Dakota and south to western North Carolina. Adults have a wingspan of about 32 to 43 mm and are on the wing from July through October. The caterpillars probably feed on grasses such as Glyceria maxima and Glyceria canadensis, and older records list several other plants including Vaccinium and birch.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Pseudohermonassa bicarnea, the pink-spotted dart, belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 32 to 43 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae probably feed on the grasses Glyceria maxima and Glyceria canadensis. Older records also list Vaccinium, birch (Betula populifolia), dandelion, maple, and meadowsweet as food plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to eastern North America, extending westward to south-central Saskatchewan and central North Dakota and southward to western North Carolina.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a member of the Noctuidae family, which includes many similar-looking moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 26 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Wisconsin.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
They probably feed on Glyceria grasses, and older records list Vaccinium, birch, dandelion, maple and meadowsweet.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the pink-spotted dart found?
It occurs in eastern North America, extending west to south-central Saskatchewan and central North Dakota and south to western North Carolina.
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/Pseudohermonassa_bicarnea
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 2026-10-23.