Bug FAQYankee Dart
Abagrotis brunneipennis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The Yankee dart moth has a wingspan of about 33 to 37 mm. It lives across North America from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and south to Oregon, Utah, Colorado and North Carolina. Adults fly in August and September, producing one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Abagrotis brunneipennis, called the Yankee dart, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 33 to 37 mm (1.3 to 1.5 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat various woody plants such as Vaccinium and also consume fallen leaves during winter.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing in August and September, completing one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active in late summer, specifically August to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, covering eastern Canada to the western coast and parts of the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Montana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
When can I see adult Yankee dart moths?
Adults fly in August and September, producing a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on woody plants like Vaccinium and also on fallen leaves in winter.
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/Abagrotis_brunneipennis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.