Bug FAQRubbed Dart and Allies
Euxoa detersa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Rubbed Dart, Rubbed Dart Moth, Sand Cutworm
Source: Wikipedia
The rubbed dart moth has a wingspan of about 30 to 35 mm. Adults fly from July through October and there is one generation each year. It lives across North America from Newfoundland and the Atlantic coast down to North Carolina, west to Nebraska, and north into Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 30 to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found throughout much of North America, from eastern Canada to the central United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from July to October, producing one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina, Connecticut.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the rubbed dart damage?
Its larvae eat corn, grasses, cranberry, saltwort, sea-rocket, garden crops and stored grains.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult rubbed darts active?
Adults fly from July to October, with one generation each 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/Euxoa_detersa
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.