Agrotis vetusta
Encyclopedia
The Old Man Dart, Spotted-legged Cutworm or Muted Dart (when referring to Agrotis vetusta mutata) (Agrotis vetusta) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in North America
, from southern Alaska
to Nova Scotia
, southward into Mexico
.
The wingspan
is 35–42 mm. Adults are on wing from August to September depending on the location.
The larvae feed on various forbs, vegetables, and row crops.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, from southern Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, southward into Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 35–42 mm. Adults are on wing from August to September depending on the location.
The larvae feed on various forbs, vegetables, and row crops.
Subspecies
- Agrotis vetusta vetusta
- Agrotis vetusta catenuloides (Great Basin area)
- Agrotis vetusta mutata (West from Manitoba into British Columbia)