Bug FAQSwordsman Dart
Agrotis gladiaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: claybacked cutworm
Source: Wikipedia
The swordsman dart moth has forewings 13 to 16 mm long. Adults fly in September and October, while the larvae eat a wide range of crops and garden plants. It lives in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Ontario and from Maine down to Florida and west to Texas and the Midwest.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length is 13 to 16 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in southeastern Canada and the eastern United States, from Nova Scotia to Ontario and from Maine to Florida, extending west to Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on many plants such as alfalfa, beans, grasses, cabbages, corn, tomatoes and other crops.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from September to October, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to southeastern Canada and the eastern United States, covering the same areas as its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio.
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
When are adult swordsman darts active?
Adults are active in September and October, with timing varying by location.
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/Agrotis_gladiaria
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.