Bug FAQVenerable Dart
Agrotis venerabilis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Venerable Dart Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The Venerable Dart is a moth with a wingspan of about 37 mm. Adults fly in late summer (August-September) in temperate areas, and can appear as early as March in the Neotropics. It occurs across North America from central Canada down to Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Agrotis venerabilis, known as the dusky cutworm, belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 37 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across the continent from coast to coast, ranging from central Canada southward to Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on alfalfa, clover, tobacco, violet, chickweed, oats and corn.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from August to September in temperate parts of its range, while in the Neotropics they can be seen from at least March onward.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same coast-to-coast area of North America, from central Canada down to Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 45 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, Vermont.
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 Venerable Darts active?
Adults fly from August to September in temperate areas and can appear as early as March in the Neotropics.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on alfalfa, clover, tobacco, violet, chickweed, oats and corn.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Venerable Dart found?
It is found across North America from central Canada south to Mexico.
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_venerabilis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.