Moths of North Carolina
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Common Name:
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Agrotis Members: 50 NC Records

Agrotis venerabilis Walker, [1857] - Venerable Dart

Agrotis venerabilisAgrotis venerabilisAgrotis venerabilisAgrotis venerabilis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933516		 MONA Number:
10651.00		 Other Common Name:
Dusky Cutworm
Comments: One of twenty-three species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), seven of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A typical Dart, with a strong, elongated claviform spot that is strongly outlined with black and filled with gray; this spot is separated by the antemedian line from a thin basal dash (Forbes, 1954). This spot strongly contrasts with the light brown ground color of the lower portion of the wing. The orbicular is also elongated and elliptical but does not contrast with the darker shade that extends along the costa to the large, dark reniform spot. A small dark wedge may follow the reniform, similar but smaller than the mark found in Agrotis ipsilon. The head and collar are dark brown, contrasting with the pale tegulae and thoracic crest. The hindwings are dark fuscous. A. volubilis is similar but has a much strong basal dash that crosses the antemedian and joins the claviform. A. malefida has a much shorter and thicker claviform and a blackish collar. A. ipsilon always has a dark wedge beyond the reniform, which is longer and more sharply pointed than any wedge that occurs in A. venerabilis.
Wingspan: 35-40 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Male antennae are narrowly pectinate, with a simple apex (Forbes, 1954)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Agrotis venerabilisAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are reported to be polyphagous, feeding on a variety of plants, including several of agricultural importance. Among the hosts listed by Pogue (2006) are alfalfa, barley, chickweed, corn, and tobacco. Other reported hosts include clover, oats, sweet clover, and tomato (Heppner, 2007; Beadle & Leckie, 2012). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Agrotis venerabilis - Venerable Dart

Photos: 18
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-10-18
Transylvania Co.
Comment: GORG - Obs. VC.
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-10-14
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-10-14
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2023-03-16
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-10-15
Madison Co.
Comment:
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Vin Stanton on 2021-10-08
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-10-08
Madison Co.
Comment:
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-04
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2019-10-24
Graham Co.
Comment:
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2019-10-12
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-10-04
Madison Co.
Comment:
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-10-10
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2018-09-26
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2017-10-19
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Doug Blatny / Jackie Nelson on 2011-10-02
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: Doug Blatny / Jackie Nelson on 2011-09-25
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Agrotis venerabilisRecorded by: T. DeSantis on 2009-10-21
Camden Co.
Comment: