Bug FAQShuttle-shaped Dart
Agrotis puta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The shuttle-shaped dart is a moth in the Noctuidae family with a wingspan of about 30 to 32 mm. Adults fly from May through October, and the larvae feed on low-growing plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Agrotis puta, called the shuttle-shaped dart, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 30 to 32 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is common in western Europe and also occurs in southern and central Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on a variety of low-growing plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You will see them flying between May and October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes western, southern and central Europe, plus North Africa and the Middle East.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a Noctuidae moth, which may resemble other noctuid species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
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_puta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.