Bug FAQReddish Speckled Dart
Cerastis tenebrifera · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Reddish Speckled Dart Moth
The reddish speckled dart is a moth in the Noctuidae family with a wingspan of about 30 to 40 mm. It lives across eastern North America, from Newfoundland down to South Carolina and west to Texas and Nebraska, reaching into southern Ontario. Adults fly from early spring through early summer, typically March to June.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Cerastis tenebrifera, called the reddish speckled dart, belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 30 to 40 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars have been raised on lettuce, grape, dandelion, raspberry, willow, chokecherry, paper birch, and blueberry plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from March through June.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans March to June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes eastern Canada and the eastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Connecticut, Michigan, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Massachusetts.
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
When can I expect to see adult reddish speckled darts?
Adults are active from March through June.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae feed on?
They have been reared on lettuce, grape, dandelion, raspberry, willow, chokecherry, paper birch, and blueberry.
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/Cerastis_tenebrifera
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.