Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Agrotis Members: 1 NC Records

Agrotis volubilis Harvey, 1874 - Voluble Dart

No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933521		 MONA Number:
10659.00
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 directly connected to a heavy, dark basal dash that distinctively crosses the antemedian line (Forbes, 1954). This spot strongly contrasts with the light brown ground color of the lower portion of the wing. The orbicular is rounded and not as extended as in Agrotis venerabilis; both the orbicular and reniform are distinctly darker than the dark shade that extends along the costa to the reniform. A small dark wedge may follow the reniform, similar but smaller than the mark found in A. ipsilon. The head and collar are dark brown, contrasting with the pale tegulae and thoracic crest. The hindwings are whitish, particularly in the males, but shaded with fuscous. A. venerabilis is similar but has a weaker basal dash that does not cross the antemedian. 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. volubilis.
Wingspan: 35-40 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Forewing Length: Male antennae are simple, with tufted bristles (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 volubilisAlamance 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 polyphagous. Among the hosts listed by Pogue (2006) are alfalfa, barley, chickweed (Cerastium), clover, corn, and tobacco. We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W-PK]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [SH]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: North Carolina specimens need to be confirmed.