Bug FAQTricose Dart
Feltia tricosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Confused Dart Moth
The tricose dart is a noctuid moth with a wingspan of about 35 mm. It lives in central North America and its range reaches north into Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. Adults fly from July to September in the north, and the larvae probably feed on many kinds of plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The tricose dart is a moth that belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wings measure about 35 mm across.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in central parts of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars probably eat a wide variety of plant species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adult moths are active from July through September in the northern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In the north, the flight period spans July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range extends northward into Canadian provinces such as Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont.
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 tricose darts active?
Adults are on the wing from July to September in northern areas.
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/Feltia_tricosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.