Bug FAQVoluble Dart
Agrotis volubilis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Voluble Dart Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The voluble dart moth has a wingspan of about 35 to 40 mm. Adults are seen flying from May through July, with one generation each year. It lives across North America, from eastern Canada to the west coast of the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Agrotis volubilis belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wings measure roughly 35 to 40 mm across.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found throughout Canada and the United States, from Newfoundland to British Columbia and from Maine down to Florida, extending westward to the Pacific coast.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat a wide variety of plants, including alfalfa, beans, chickweed, clover, corn, little barley and tobacco.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to July and produce one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active during the late spring and early summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, spanning the same regions as its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Montana, Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on many garden and crop plants such as alfalfa, beans, corn, and tobacco.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It occurs across North America, from eastern Canada to the western United States.
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_volubilis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.