Bug FAQSoothsayer Dart
Graphiphora augur · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Double Dart, Soothsayer Dart Moth, Double Dart Moth
The Soothsayer Dart has a wingspan of about 35 to 42 mm and its forewings are a uniform brown-grey with a reddish tint and distinct black-edged markings. It occurs across all of Canada, much of the northern United States, and throughout Eurasia from the British Isles to Japan.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are brownish-grey with a reddish hue, black-edged stigmata, a narrow claviform spot, and a variable orbicular spot that may be round or flattened. The hindwing is slightly paler than the forewing.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 35 to 42 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on a variety of trees and shrubs such as birch, several willow species, poplars, currants, roses, lilac and honeysuckle.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from June through August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range also includes the British Isles, Scandinavia, Siberia and Japan across Eurasia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The grey form hippophaes lacks the reddish tint, while the pale form helvetina has blurred markings and a pink hindwing fringe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 27 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Oregon, Minnesota, Michigan, Washington, Montana, Massachusetts, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Soothsayer Darts active?
Adults fly from June to August, with exact timing varying by region.
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/Graphiphora_augur
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.